Repeat and Rewind
by SEZCPL
Summary: History is repeating itself - and Casey's worried. A little not hugely original story for those who asked for a bit of Life with Dasey.
1. Chapter 1

"Hi! You're Casey McDonald, aren't you?"

Casey looked up as someone called her name across the high school car park. An attractive lady of about forty was smiling at her.

"Yes. I am. Well, half of me anyway!"

The other lady laughed. "Busy juggling work and home life? I know that feeling."

Casey nodded, warming to the other lady. She moved to stand next to her new acquaintance, beside her car.

"My name's Cathy. I recognised you because my daughter and I are big fans of your work. Your latest book was fantastic, such a great concept, fantasy where the heroine actually has backbone! We had to buy a copy each so that we could read it at the same time."

"Thank you! I hated not having strong heroines in stories when I was younger. They were all so weak and so reliant on men. Not that there's anything wrong with men, of course, but knowing the species, I really couldn't understand why an intelligent girl would place all her faith in the lame examples of heroes most stories have. How old's your daughter?"

"She's a senior. We're rather proud of her. She's just been offered a scholarship to Queens next year."

"Oh. I went to Queens, she'll have a lot of fun. Is she a hard worker?"

"Sometimes too much of one. I've tried to get her to ease up a bit but she takes everything so seriously."

"I'm sure she'll find a balance at Queens. It worked for me."

"You have a son here, don't you? I've heard of him."

Casey groaned. "Don't tell me…It was something outrageous and probably ended in detention."

The other lady chuckled. "Which time?"

Casey laughed. "You really have heard of Stig, haven't you?" Cathy laughed too.

"Lucy keeps me updated. My husband and I find it very entertaining, and our younger daughter has started keeping a "Stig" Scrapbook detailing all his antics. Is he really named after the novel?"

Casey nodded. "His real name is Steven, but his room has been a constant mess since he was six so we nicknamed him 'Stig of the dump'. It stuck. Even more appropriate now he is a teenager. His room is worst than most because he spends so much time in it, he has been grounded so many times. You know he can be so infuriating, and yet every now and then he does some redeeming thing, and the thought of military school recedes for a short while!"

"What does your husband think?"

Casey sighed. "That he's normal. That he's just being a teenager."

Cathy nodded. "My own brothers were a handful."

"Oh I know that feeling. I grew up in a house with two teenage boys and it wasn't fun; one long series of pranks for which I was, normally, the target. At least, Stig keeps the pranking to a minimum at home. But at school…I'm dreading what he has been up to on this day trip. You wouldn't believe the trouble he could get into in one day. The last time I took him to a museum we were given a life ban."

Cathy laughed. "My favourite Stig story is where he ran a homework racket from his locker."

"Well, yes. Not unfortunately a Stig original."

"Or the time when he put the headmaster's furniture on the roof."

Casey blushed. She couldn't blame the origin of _that_ prank on Derek. She _could_ blame him for telling Stig though.

"He has a large repertoire of pranks to work from. My step-brother, Edwin documented his family's prank history and presented it to Stig on his twelfth birthday."

The bus pulled up at that point and a stream of seniors poured out into the car park. One very attractive girl appeared at the doorway looking flustered and started down the bus steps. She stumbled, her foot missed the bottom step and she went sprawling onto the asphalt.

"Way-to-go, Klutzilla!" A voice sounded from inside the bus as a tall, copper-haired boy of about 18 stepped over his prostrate classmate.

"Stig, You Jerk!" She replied.

"You know, brainiac, if you spent as much time watching your feet as you do reading, the world would be a safer place."

"You pushed me, you moron."

"You know, you should come with a health warning."

"Funny, I was just thinking the same about you."

"And just exactly how much time thinking about me do you do?"

"Ego much!"

Casey saw the look between the two seniors and felt a chill.

"Let me guess." She turned to Cathy. "That's Lucy?"

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Derek was settling into his favourite position in bed: arm round gorgeous woman, hand cupping naked breast, face buried in her hair.

"Okay. You seduced me….again."

"There wasn't much seduction involved in it." She laughed. "As I recall, all I did was remove my clothes."

"Uh…Duh…" He smirked and planted a kiss in her hair. "That's normally all it takes. Although, I have to say, you really were making an effort to take them off in _that_ way. And they _were_ your seduction set."

"My what?"

"The set of bra and panties you keep for "seducing Derek"."

"That's ridiculous!"

"No. It's hot. I like them. You should buy more so I can spend more time removing them from you." He grinned. "And you might as well get 'the talk' over and done with; now that you've put out for the privilege."

"Der-ek!"

"Casey!"

"I can't believe you used that phrase. I have never "put out"."

"Really Case? That doesn't explain Stig…"

"Derek."

"…or Bethany…"

"Derek."

"…or Alex or Ruthie."

"Der-ek!"

"I mean I know the family think I only have to look at you to get you pregnant but that's pushing it a bit."

"I don't "put out". I 'make love'."

Derek slid his free arm around her and rolled so he was pressing against her. "I know. You do it very well… and if you don't get on with this little chat, then you are going to be too busy to have the chat…_again_." He kissed her pointedly on the lips.

Casey giggled against his mouth.

"Tempting as you are. We really do need to talk."

Derek rolled onto his back again and pulled her close. "Okay. When's it due?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"Oh? That's how the conversation normally starts."

"Yeah…well…not this time. This time it's…"

"…Stig."

"How did you know?"  
"Because the only serious conversations you and I ever seem to have are either about you being pregnant again, or Stig doing something Derek-like."

"Stig does something Derek-like all day long. The wonder is that I ever agreed to have children with you at all knowing what you were like as a teenager."

"You mean you don't have fond memories of our childhood."

"I do. But most of them don't involve you."  
"Casey, I'm hurt…not surprised, but hurt all the same." He grinned and started nuzzling her neck. "Do you want me to apologise for my behaviour as a teenager again?" He said it seductively. "I'm very good at it."

"Not right now. I think there's a girl."

Derek frowned. "Casey…we've had that discussion. I have never been unfaithful to you. There haven't been 'girls' since high school." The honesty was shining so brightly in his face, Casey laughed.

"I didn't mean you. I meant Stig."

"Of course there's a girl. There's always a girl. It's one of the things that irritates you the most."

"No. I don't mean a girl he's dating. I mean a girl he's fighting with."

"Fighting with?" Derek looked confused.

"You know the old adage about marrying your mother?"

"Yeah…"

"Well today when I picked him up from school there was this girl. Derek, he tripped her up as she was going down the bus steps and then called her Klutzilla."

"Yeah well the Klutzilla label he's heard me use for you before now." Derek paused. "Is she good looking?"

"Oh yeah. The worrying thing is, D. She called him a "Jerk" in the same tone of voice I used to use for you."

"What'd'ya mean, 'used to use'?" He got momentarily distracted by the blue eyes fixing his own, and ran his fingers through her hair. _You are so beautiful, and I've never deserved you._

"It's probably nothing, Case."

"I met her mother. She's really nice. And the girl, Lucy, sounds just like me."

"Then we shouldn't interfere. She sounds like the perfect daughter-in-law."

"She's got a scholarship to Queens, D."

"So. So has Stig."

"Exactly."

Derek met his wife's eyes again.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I think maybe we should get to know Lucy's parents."

"Yeah. That would kill off any possible romance. If the rents get along."

"Didn't with us."

"That was different. Ours are married to each other."

"Anyway, I meant without the kids knowing."

"Sneaky Casey. I like it. Maybe if they meet me they won't worry so much about Stig when he grows up."

"Or maybe this is a really bad idea." Casey teased.

"Just sort it out Casey. You're so much better at this than me."

"Yes I am, aren't I?"

"You aren't better at every thing so stop looking so smug."

"Okay. Apart from hockey, name one thing you do better than me."  
"Oh that's easy." Derek said, sliding under the bedcovers.

"Seduction."

Casey squealed.

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	2. Chapter 2

"I like the hockey off-season. I like it when you get to spend large chunks of the daytime at home with your writer wife while your kids are at school."

"I know you do. It's one of the reasons we have so many kids."

Derek and Casey were standing in the kitchen. The kids would be home from school soon, so they were dressed and looking like respectable parents, and not like the two newlyweds they had resembled an hour ago. But just because they were respectable parents did not mean that Derek's hands weren't allowed to explore his wife's body in the last few minutes of quiet before the door went. In fact, a last minute grope was compulsory.

"Der-ek!" Casey giggled as the front door crashed open.

"God dad, put her down. You're too old for that sort of stuff now."  
Derek ignored his eldest son and bent to kiss Casey one last time. As he straightened up he smirked at his son. "And too old to consider taking you to the Leafs game?"

"You're kidding?"

Casey reached into Derek's back pocket and removed the tickets, waving them in the air.

"Okay. So maybe you aren't such a lame rent after all."  
Derek smirked. Casey rolled her eyes.

"How was school?" She asked. Derek and Stig looked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. She pulled a face at them both.

"I am still allowed to ask that question. Mom prerogative."

"School was its usual, unbelievable self. Although today was made slightly better by a particularly good Klutzilla moment."

Derek looked up, amused to see the expression on his wife's face.

"Klutzilla?"

"Lucy. Tanked it going down the stairs and bit some random guy's ass."

Casey's eyes whipped round to fix Derek's. And he was trying _so_ hard not to laugh.

"Lucy?"

"Lucy "Klutzilla" Morgan. Keener, grade grubber and Klutzilla."

Casey interjected "who just happens to be gorgeous, bright, intelligent."  
"…annoying, irritating….do you need more?" He stomped off to his room.

Derek looked at Casey.

"So erm, Case…when are the Morgan's coming to dinner?"

"Saturday. While Stig's at Lizzie and Edwin's."

"Great. Not a moment too soon."

Casey laughed and let him start molesting her again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Will you quit fidgeting!" Cathy hissed at her husband as they walked the short distance to the Venturi house.

"Give me one good reason why we are going to this dinner party and I'll be happy to." James Morgan replied.

"Because Casey is a really nice person and she wrote _those_ books."

"Yeah yeah. And her husband is a famous ice hockey player yatter yatter yatter. And their house will be enormous, and his ego will be enormous and the chances of his cheating on his wife are enormous." Unfaithful husbands was one of James' bugbears; his barometer on life.

"James!"

He sighed. "James!" was her catchphrase when she was irritated. After twenty years of marriage, she had perfected the call to the point where he even heard it when he contemplated doing something she wouldn't have approved of. James Morgan worshipped his wife, but in the highly unlikely event he ever considered being unfaithful he was sure there would be a loud cry of "James!" just before he introduced himself to the likely candidate.

Cathy was nervous. And he sympathised. But as far as James Morgan was concerned, if someone was rich and famous but couldn't be civil then they weren't worth the effort. So he had put his foot down when she had tried to buy expensive wine to take with them, had limited the amount she should spend on her outfit, and had steadfastly refused to wear a suit.

He was vaguely aware of whom Derek Venturi was, but he wasn't a big fan of ice hockey, and he knew that Casey Venturi wrote the books his wife and daughter lusted after, but the idea of picking one up himself….jeez!

It came as a relief when they walked up the driveway of the Venturi residence to find that whilst it was a large house, it was not excessive. And although the car in the driveway looked new, it wasn't a sports car but instead an economic SUV designed to accommodate a large family. He smiled to himself, pleased that he had reined his beloved wife in.

And when the door opened, before they had had time to press the bell, and a good-looking but otherwise ordinary guy stood in the doorway, his clothes almost identical to James' own appeared, James almost laughed.

"Derek." Derek Venturi stated, offering his hand out to be shaken.

"James." James Morgan returned.

"Hi Cathy." Casey came through from the kitchen, wiping her hands.

"Hi Casey." Cathy tried to be sophisticated and plant air kisses, but Casey was having none of it and Cathy found a very genuine kiss being planted on her cheek.

"I hope you don't mind, it's just a casserole. It's what I'm good at."

And James relaxed again. He had a very plain stomach.

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The evening was going well. Derek and James had discovered a common interest in photography early on, and James was soon whisked off to look at lenses and colour filters. Casey asked Cathy to help her in the kitchen and they were soon working together and chatting away like old friends.

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The door slammed shut behind Lucy who stared at her younger sister in surprise.

"Where's mom?"

"Dad's taken her out to dinner."

"Dad…restaurants…oooo that's not good." Lucy cringed at the thought of her father in a restaurant. He had once worked in one and felt the need to comment on _everything_.

"No actually. They've gone to dinner at someone's house."

"Really? Whose?"

"Not sure. Number's on the pad."

Lucy walked over to look at the pad. A number was written there.

It wouldn't have meant anything to her, except she recognised the number…

"The Venturis? Why on earth would the Venturis invite our parents for dinner?"

"Stig?"

"Yes."

"Oooh. I wonder if they'll bring home anymore anecdotes?"

"Lilly!"

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"Well that, as they say was a resounding success." Derek murmured in Casey's ear, watching their dinner guests walk down the drive. "And I am proud to call you my wife. Dinner was as usual, outstanding and you provided guy company for me that I might actually tolerate. And Cathy is lovely." Casey smiled warmly at him.

"I just hope they don't hate us when our son breaks their daughter's heart."

They chuckled and closed the door.

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"Admit it. You enjoyed yourself."

"Okay I enjoyed myself. The house wasn't horrifically big, and neither was his ego."

"And I walked in on him groping Casey so I doubt he's playing around." They laughed.

"Groping?"

"That's what it looked like from where I was standing."

"You mean like this….?" James was feeling…affectionate.

"James Morgan, behave yourself."

"Why? We're married. And you get told all through your teenage years to behave. I think I'm old enough to misbehave now."

"Okay. But can you at least wait until we've got past the girls????"  
"Ooops. Good point."


	4. Chapter 4

Stig finished routing in his locker and slammed the door shut. He jumped as a rather attractive face was revealed to be lurking the other side.

"Urgh! It's too early in the morning for your ugly mutt, Morgan!"

Lucy winced. She hated the way his barbed comments got to her. However, today was not the time to get upset, she was there on business.

"You and I need to talk." She stated.

Stig blinked. It took a while to process she hadn't just thrown back a retaliatory insult. He was distracted for a moment. She had that effect on him and he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Okay. You've had your thirty seconds of Stig time. Let's _not_ do it again sometime." And he turned and walked away. Lucy followed him.

"Very amusing, jerk. Except I think you are going to want to hear what I say."

"I doubt that very much, Loopy." He sped up leaving her in the hall.

"Fine." She shouted after him. "but you might want to ask your mom and dad why they had dinner with _my_ parents last Saturday."

Stig stopped dramatically, causing two groupies to crash into his back. He turned and looked at Lucy.

"What?" He exclaimed, looking around to see if anyone else had heard her.

"Exactly." Lucy folded her arms across her chest in an 'admit it, I'm right – you're interested' pose.

"That's impossible!" Stig hissed as he walked back towards her.

"Maybe…but it happened." Lucy's voice was quiet as he neared her.

"That's….disgusting!" He looked horrified.

"My sentiments exactly."

"Why?"

"I was hoping you might know."

"Where did this _event_ happen?"

"At your house, evidently. I came back from a date to find my parents out and when I checked with my sister she told me they were at your parents'. I saw the contact number they left – it was yours alright."

He looked thoughtful. Stig said nothing to Lucy, but he was curious as to how she knew his home phone number. He was also curious as to who she had been on the date with. He made a mental note to ask around. In the meantime…

"I'll deal with this." He stated.

"Uh uh. You share. You find out anything you let me know. I have an interest in this."

"Works both ways, toots."

Lucy sighed at the 'toots' comment. "Having met your mother, I can only assume you are adopted. The poor woman."

"I am my father's son. Mom's brains, father's looks and charm." He smirked.

"Looks and charm?…I'll reserve judgement on that, until I meet him. "  
Stig frowned immediately. "Not going to happen. Our parents meeting for dinner is disaster enough."

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Stig was right about being a combination of his parents. At his age, Derek had been good at pranks and weaselling his way out of tight spots and he was intelligent. But Stig was also half-Casey and that showed in his ability to think things through and to plan. He could have used that to great effect in the classroom, and get exceptional grades. Instead, he chose to follow his father's path for the time being. So the planning was used for pranks – mainly against his younger siblings and Lucy.

Stig knew better than to prank his parents. Derek was likely to retaliate on Stig's level, and pranksters are never good at taking their own medicine. And Casey had been pranked so many times by Derek that she had an inbuilt prank-radar, which made it almost impossible to prank her. After many years of marriage, it was an unwritten but well-known rule that only Derek was allowed to prank Casey – and he still did, whenever she stopped paying attention.

But right now, Stig wasn't planning pranks, he was planning how to find out what his parents were up to.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Stig!" Teddy Venturi greeted his cousin as he walked up the drive. "Mom didn't say you were coming over again tonight."

"She doesn't know. And I don't want her to, okay?"

"Sure. You need something?"

"Yeah. I need you to do some digging for me. Something is going on with my 'rents and I needed to know what."

"They're okay aren't they?" Teddy looked concerned. He loved Auntie Casey and Uncle Derek.

Stig nodded. "They are up to something, and I figure seeing as the 'something' started on Saturday which was when they sent me to stay with your parents, I'm betting your parents know what it is."

Teddy shrugged. "Sounds feasible. So what happened on Saturday?"

"They invited Loopy Lucy's parents over to dinner…and I want to know why."

"Loopy Lucy? You mean that cute chick you are always pranking?"

"Ew! Ted. When did you last have your eyes tested?"

Teddy grinned. "Why does she get under your skin so badly?"

"She's too much of a grade-grubber for her own good."

"From what I've seen of her she seems nice…a bit like Aunt Casey."

Stig sighed. "Well she behaves like a parental anyway."

Teddy smiled to himself, and made a mental note to update his Stig and Lucy observation files as soon as Stig left.

"It'll cost you though."

"Normal rates?"

"Sounds good. I'll be in touch when I have something to report."

"Ok. Laters."

Stig walked down the street and headed off to town to the small diner which was so popular with the high school kids. It had changed names several times over the years, and his father had told him both he and Stig's mother had worked there once, at a time when it went by the ridiculous name of 'Smelly Nelly's'.

These days it went by the name of 'Choke and Float' which possibly wasn't much better, but as of a month ago, Stig too had a job there.

It was Monday night, and many working parents didn't want to cook, so the restaurant was heaving. Stig was kept busy with orders so he had little time to notice the clientele, well apart from the girls. There were always a lot of girls in, and a large number of them came just to have him serve their table. The management knew that. Stig got away with a lot because he was a crowd pleaser.

"Hi, Bethany." He grinned at the blonde cheerleader in front of him, with her father. Dad wasn't too impressed with the way the young Venturi was looking at his daughter, so Stig switched to sly winks as he dealt with their order and moved on. The next table was Angelique. A hot redhead – Stig wasn't as fussy about hair colour as Derek. She simpered as she ordered for her and her cousin, an equally hot girl who hailed from Vancouver and was visiting because her school had a free day.

And then Lucy walked in.

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It was under protest that Lucy went to 'Choke and Float' for dinner sometimes. She knew Stig worked there and he always managed to prank her, even in front of her parents. Tonight they were celebrating Lilly's music exam results.

As (bad) luck would have it, they chose one of Stig's tables.

"Evening. What I can I get you?" Lucy didn't look up. The rest of her family, seemingly oblivious, ordered. Stig couldn't resist. "And for Loopy…I mean Lucy?"

"I'll have the Caesar salad and a small portion of fries…please." She mumbled. He smiled to himself. Caesar salad, small fries and for dessert, the toffee ice cream. Lucy was predictable. She had the same thing every time she came into 'Choke and Float' He often wondered why he bothered asking her. "I should warn you there is a slight delay, we're rather busy tonight, but I'll get that to you as soon as I can." He said politely. He was as capable of turning the charm on as his father.

Lucy was mentally kicking herself for not going to the bathroom before she left the house. Now she was desperate and would need to use the washrooms here. Not a good idea with Stig around. It separated Lucy from her parents.

She excused herself and made for the area indicated by the sign. She breathed a sigh of relief as she dashed in through the door with the picture of a hen on it. (The men's had a picture of a stag).

First half of the mission achieved, she tried to make it back to the table, without him seeing her. It was a busy night after all, it should be possible.

"Hi Klutzilla." Her heart sank as she opened the door with the hen on it. Stig was leaning up against the opposite wall.

"What do you want?" She asked ungraciously. Grace was wasted on this specimen.

"An update. I wanted to know if you'd found out anything." Stig replied. He barely glanced at her, but his eyes took in the tight jeans and pretty jumper she was wearing. It wasn't fair that genetics had coupled such a gorgeous body with such a keener mind. She leaned against the wall beside him, trying to ignore his deep chocolate eyes and the cheeky smirk which he couldn't hide, even when he was talking to her. (Especially when he was talking to her).

"No. I haven't had an opportunity to broach the subject yet. What about you?"

"I've put someone on it. My cousin, Teddy. He's the world's best snoop. If there is something to be found he'll find it."

"Is that Teddy Venturi?"

"Yeah why?"

"My sister talks about him sometimes. They're in the same year group."

"Well he's good at this. He takes after my Uncle Edwin. An inquisitive mind, and a business brain. For a fee, he'll find anything or anyone. He's made a fortune at it."

"Yeah. I'd heard. Didn't he start the business with his wife?"

"Yeah. Aunt Lizzie. Although she's an environmental researcher these days."

Stig wondered why he was wasting his time elaborating with the girl in front of him. He never discussed his family with the girls he dated, so why discuss them with a girl he wouldn't date in a month of Sundays?

"Anyway, he should pull something out in the next day or so."

"You'll let me know."

"Yeah." He paused. "How? I don't really want to be seen talking to you around school."  
"God no!"

"What's your email?" he pulled out his order pad.

She gave him her email address and he wrote his down on another sheet, ripped it off and passed it to her.

He straightened, glanced around to make sure no one had seen him talking to Lucy and disappeared off into the restaurant.

"Moron." Said Lucy, softly. A small smile on her lips.


	6. Chapter 6

Trying to uncover a secret his parents' were hiding was not easy, Teddy Venturi reflected. For a start, his father, Edwin was a world class investigator. Teddy wouldn't be at all surprised if Edwin didn't already know that his son was snooping. His mother, Lizzie, too was not slow on the uptake. He was often surprised at how she managed to 'get one over on' his father – which by all accounts was not easy. So trying to find out what secret they were hiding was going to be tough.

He was still puzzling this out the next day as he made his way to class. Teddy attended all of his classes religiously. He had had very little enthusiasm for school work for a while until his father had taken him to one side and explained how you could use class to your own advantage. It wasn't just the life lessons and skills you picked up. It was the people-watching which might help you achieve a business goal. When Edwin had helped Teddy triple his allowance purely by watching his classmates and noting what they were up to, Teddy was addicted to attending class…for life.

So he was watching the people around him as they arrived and for once, he noticed Lilly Morgan.

He knew Lilly. He had even spoken to her several times before. And as girls went, she was pretty cool. They just didn't move in the same circles. She wasn't as hot as her elder sister, but in a few years he reckoned she'd be there…with bells on. As he watched her cross the classroom gracefully, suddenly an idea sprang to mind.

Lilly could feel Teddy's eyes on her and she had to admit she was curious as to why she had suddenly caught his attention. She knew enough about him to know that he was Stig's cousin – and unlike his elder relative, did not normally give girls a second glance. (or boys for that matter, so she was sure it wasn't _that_ reason.). At the end of class when he approached her, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from blurting out, _"Come on out with it the suspense is killing me!"_

"Hi Lilly!"

"Hi Teddy! I haven't seen you to speak to for a while."

He looked embarrassed. "Hmm not since kindergarten?"

They both laughed. Actually, it hadn't been that long, but as he spoke to her with her soft voice and winning smile, he realised it actually felt like forever since he had last chatted with her, and he resolved to not leave it so long next time.

"So, how's the family?" He asked, nonchalantly, feeling about fifty as he said it.

She laughed. "Fine. Still just the four of us, and the cat is doing well too. Is that enough small talk?" She finished pointedly.

"God am I that transparent? My father will kill me."

"No. Apparently, according to my parents and Lucy I'm just very perceptive. But, I'm heading off for lunch, why don't you join me and tell me what you are after? Maybe I can help." That amazing grin again. He nodded at her plan. He would definitely not leave it so long next time.

"So let me get this straight. Stig wants you to find out why his parents invited mine over for dinner."

"Yup."

"Maybe it's just that Mom bumped into Casey in the car park and they took a shine to each other."

He shook his head. "They don't do that sort of thing, Aunt Casey and uncle D. Uncle D doesn't like dinner parties. He says it reminds him of all the lame dates Auntie C brought back for dinner when they were teenagers."

Teddy noticed Lilly's frown as she processed what he'd just said. He grinned.

"I guess you wouldn't know because Lucy and Stig don't get on and Stig only lets his closest friends know…Derek and Casey spent some of their teenage years living in the same house. Derek's father is married to Casey's mother. Stig's parents were step-brother and sister before they were husband and wife."

"Oh…wow! I guess there's nothing wrong with that."

"Nothing wrong at all. In fact, my father is Derek's brother and my mother is Casey's sister." He grinned a cheeky grin. "We're very friendly in my family."

"Evidently." Lilly said also grinning. Teddy liked how she hadn't made a big deal of his parents alternative relationship. It freaked some people out.

"Well if there is a reason for the dinner party, I doubt my own parents know about it. They are very easy to read and hugely predictable."  
"Hmmm. I think you are probably right. It does have a Venturi tone to it."

"Should I be worried?" Lilly said, thinking of her own parents.

"Nah! The worst that can happen is that they split their sides laughing at the prank afterwards."

"So do you want me to keep my ears open?" Lilly asked.

Teddy patted her on the back. "Atta girl! We'll make a spy out of you yet."

She shook her head in amused disbelief. "How will I speak to you?"

He held out a hand for her work folder and scribbled his email address down. He paused and as an after thought added his phone number.

"Okay." Lilly looked up at the clock. "I got to go. I'll email you my phone number tonight when I get home."

"Great. Thanks."

As she walked across the cafeteria and away from him, Teddy congratulated himself. Somehow he thought both his Uncle and his father would be proud of his work today.

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"So…" Lilly said to Lucy watching from the doorway as her sister stretched on her bed. "Stig."

"What about the jerk?" Lucy's predictable reply came.

"I gather he isn't too happy about his parents and ours having dinner together."

Lucy sat up in a hurry. Lilly was amused to see she looked slightly flustered.

"How did you find out about that?"

"Stig told Teddy, Teddy told me."

Lucy relaxed again. "Since when have you been spending time with Teddy Venturi?"

Lilly shrugged. "I'm not, not really. He just wanted to know if I'd heard anything. He's a nice guy though."

Lucy glanced up and amused, her eyebrow raised.

"Don't look at me like that Lucy!"

"Hey. I never said a word."

"Good. Coz it's business and nothing else." Lilly insisted.

"And did that business involve you swapping phone numbers?"

"Yes as a matter of fact…but again it is purely business." Lucy's laughter covered the end of that sentence.

"Come on, sis. You want to get to the bottom of this dinner business don't you?" Lilly went on.

Lucy frowned. "Yes. Definitely."

"Well then. A certain degree of fraternisation with the enemy is required." Her eyes widened suddenly as the word 'fraternisation' reminded her of the juicy piece of gossip Teddy had imparted. She moved quickly to Lucy's bed.

"You'll never guess what Teddy told me about Stig's parents."

"That they are step-siblings…yeah I know."  
Lilly looked disappointed. "How do you know?"

"It's in Casey's on-line bio. Their parents married when they were fifteen and Casey and Lizzie McDonald moved with Nora their mother into Derek's home. They hated each other until they went to college where she swept him off his feet."

"I'd have thought it would be the other way around."  
Lucy laughed. "Yeah. Me too if Derek is anything like his son. I guess there's a story to be told there.

"Surely it's a good thing that Mom is getting friendly with Casey. I mean you respect her and her work don't you?"

"If it was only that, then of course, I'd be encouraging it. But do you have any idea what it is like to be pranked and insulted _every_ day? I just want him to leave me alone."

"Well, look on the bright side. In a few months you'll be off to Queens and you can escape him."  
"I can't wait."


	7. Chapter 7

**EMAILS:**

**Teddy Venturi to Stig:**

Okay. Not much to go on. Whatever the reason for the dinner party, it isn't a hot topic. I've been watching mom and dad carefully and they aren't hiding anything. So the secret has very little to do with them. I still think there is a secret though. In desperation I came right out and asked mom. (I figured she was the easier to break). She said (I quote):

"Teddy. Inquisitiveness can be an irritation as well as an opportunity. Derek and Casey are quite entitled to have the parents of one of Stig's school friends over to dinner."

When I pointed out that you and Lucy weren't exactly friends, Mom mumbled something which I'm not entirely sure might have been 'bet'. But I don't see how this could all be about a bet.

Anyway, will keep digging. Incidentally, I'm comparing notes with Lilly Morgan who shows some promise at snooping.

T

**Stig to Teddy:**

I hope you aren't expecting to get paid for that crap Teddy.

**Teddy to Stig:**

Consider it a freebie.

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**Stig to Lucy:**

Any progress, Loopy?

**Lucy to Stig:**

Not that you'll appreciate. Mom's inviting your whole family over for a barbecue.

And it's LUCY, lamebrain.

**Stig to Lucy:**

Fine. If you want to be called Lucy Lamebrain, who am I to refuse?

What do you mean 'whole family'?

Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means.

**Lucy to Stig:**

Oh yeah. You just got invited to my house.

**Stig to Lucy:**

Tell me when it is and I'll make sure I'm busy.

**Lucy to Stig:**

Was that you turning down free food?! Wow! I should email a quote to the school paper.

**Stig to Lucy:**

Can you even begin to appreciate the damage to my rep if someone found out we…gulp…socialised together?

**Lucy to Stig:**

And what about my rep?

**Stig to Lucy:**

…would be totally stoked, honey.

**Lucy to Stig:**

I'm not your 'honey'.

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**Lilly to Teddy:**

Don't know if the grapevine has reached you yet, but Mom's invited the Venturi clan over for a barbecue on Sunday. I'm allowed to have a friend over too, so consider yourself invited. (I thought you might appreciate the observational opportunities.) Anyway, it's 1pm on Sunday. (address below).

L

**Teddy to Lilly:**

Genius Lilles!

I'll be over 1pm sharp.

**Lilly to Teddy:**

Lilles????

**Teddy to Lilly:**

Sorry. I get over enthusiastic at times.

**Lilly to Teddy:**

I noticed.

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**Stig to Ashleigh Rogers (Cheerleader):**

Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

After I split my sides laughing at your inane joke, I realised it was probably your dumbass boyfriend who came up with it. Why don't you just dump the dick and go out with someone more manly?

And before you do, you tell him that if I catch him spreading rumours about me and Loopy Lucy again, I will tell every one about the little incident with Justin I interrupted in the park toilets last Fall.

**Ashleigh Rogers to Stig:**

I assume by 'manly' you mean yourself.

Actually it was Bethany…your _sister_ who told me that you were going to the Morgans for a barbecue.

What incident in the park toilets?

**Stig to Ashleigh:**

Sister? I don't have a sister called Bethany.

Ask your mincing boyfriend.

**Stig to Bethany:**

You are fucking dead.

**Bethany to Stig:**

Nice one bro. Dad was reading over my shoulder when that email hit my mail box. 3…2…1…

"Steven Venturi!!!! Get your sorry butt down here NOW!"


	8. Chapter 8

"You…young man are going to be on your best behaviour." Casey stated as the whole family walked the short distance to Cathy and James's home. Derek looked at her in amusement. He wondered if she realised she sounded like his grandmother. As if reading his thoughts, she threw him a "be supportive" look and he chuckled and took her hand in his own.

"Your mom means we don't care what your problem is with Lucy, you behave yourself this afternoon. I want to see politeness and some of that Venturi charm pulled out okay?"

"Sorry dad but I refuse to try and 'charm' Lucy."

"I wasn't talking about Lucy. I was talking about her parents."  
Stig grunted. Bethany sniggered as she walked along behind him. He turned and glared at her. Oblivious, the two youngest children, Alex and Ruthie were running ahead.

"This is going to be an unmitigated disaster." Casey said through gritted teeth to Derek. "I should have left it alone and never started this."  
"Oh come on princess. Cathy is nice and James and I get on. You can't regret the friendship now."

"There won't be any friendship when this all hits the fan."

Derek stopped and turned to his wife. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"You think too much."

"You don't think at all."

"The perfect combination." He smirked and kissed her soundly. Stig and Bethany rolled their eyes and carried on walking as if they weren't there. Reassuring though it was to have two parents who were _so _into each other. Sometimes you had to avert your eyes.

They arrived at the Morgan home and were surprised when the door was opened by Teddy.

"Edwin JR. What are you doing here?" Derek asked suspiciously. That was his normal tone of voice with Teddy who was, like his father before him, completely incapable of doing anything that wasn't sneaky.

"I got an invite. Why else would I be here?"

Lilly appeared at the door. "Hi. Mom says to come on straight through. Everyone's in the back yard." They led the way through to the back, to find the rest of the Morgan's sitting in the sun. Derek took himself off to the barbecue where James was fighting to control the smoke and Casey handed over the bottles of wine they had brought as gifts.

"I hope Derek is good at barbecues." said Cathy. "James is completely useless."  
Casey winced. "No. Derek's a disaster too. The last time we attempted one, we had to call the fire department."

"That wasn't my fault." Derek said from across the yard. "That was Alex knocking over the bottle of paint stripper in the garage and not telling anyone. The liquid soaked into the charcoal bag and when I set light to it on the grill the whole thing went up."

Stig laughed. "Yeah. You looked weird without eyebrows for a while."

Everyone laughed, including Derek. "Don't worry son. I have plenty of anecdotes about you too."

Lilly perked up. "Really? I'll go get my file."

Teddy looked questioningly at her. "I'll tell you later." She whispered back.

So far Lucy was no where to be seen. Obviously, she had been the first person that Stig had looked for as he entered the house. He began to hope that Lucy had found somewhere else to be.

The hope was short-lived.

"Lucy will be out in a second. She had a dance class this morning so she's changing."

"I'm here, Mom." A voice called from the direction of the house and Stig turned to see his nemesis walking from the house.

She looked…amazing. She was in a shirt dress with a pair of short leggings underneath. It was casual and smart at the same time, and yet again Stig found his mind wandering to the shape of her body beneath the cloth. He hadn't known she was a dancer. In that outfit, he wondered how he had missed drawing that conclusion.

"You dance?" Casey asked when Lucy drew near.

"Yes. Jazz mainly, but a few other styles."

Derek took a sip of the beer he had been furnished with. "Casey still dances a bit, don't you hun?"

Lucy looked with interest at Stig's mother. She nodded.

"Go on." Her husband encouraged. "Show them your party piece."

"Der-ek!" Casey protested.

"Come on…" he smirked.

She sighed, kicked a leg straight into the air and as it fell she slid into the splits on the ground. It was effortless, skilful and totally impressive that the lady who had done it had four children.

"Wow!" said Cathy. "I don't think I could get my leg halfway there, let alone all the way back and then into the splits."

"I've just never stopped dancing." Casey said.

"I bet that helped while you were carrying the children."

Casey winced. "Not really. Venturi babies have big heads."

Lucy glared at Stig. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?"

He glared back.

Lilly decided it was time she made a few case notes. First there was the very obvious way that Stig had looked for her sister as soon as he crossed the threshold. Secondly, was the moment when Lucy emerged from the house and he equally obviously _checked_ her out. Thirdly, was the moment just then when Lucy had immediately responded to the baby comment with a dig at Stig.

Lilly had recorded Stig anecdotes for a long time. It had started when she was a little girl and had her first crush on him. That had been over almost as soon as it started – he was just so much older than her, but it had progressed into an interest in the pranks he pulled, so she continued recording them. For the last eighteen months, she had noticed the progression and increasing frequency of the pranks aimed at Lucy. At first, they had been once a month, but now they were almost daily. Lilly didn't often see Stig and her sister at the same time, but now that she had, she was starting to have suspicions as to the reason behind the animosity behind them.

She crept away to her room to update the file, failing to notice she had a tail.

"Care to share?" Teddy's voice said as she lifted the large file from its hiding place.

Lilly looked embarrassed.

"It's just a little project of mine."

Teddy looked at the title on the folder. "'Observations.' Observations of who?"

Lilly shrugged. "Lucy…and Stig."

"No Way!" Teddy's eyes brightened and he straightened up and came into the room. "I have a file just like that at home. We should compare notes."

"You mean, I'm not crazy for noticing there is something going on there?"

"God no! Come on. Your sister is hot, and Stig always has a thing for hot girls."

"So why doesn't he just ask her out?"

"He's my cousin, I'll admit, but that doesn't mean I automatically understand him."  
"I wish he would just leave her alone. She gets really upset."

"She shouldn't. She should actually be flattered. He's been pranking her longer than he's dated any other girl. It's almost like she's special or something."  
"Somehow I don't think Lucy feels special."

"Do you think she might rate him too?"

"I don't know for sure. Sometimes, she comes home in a bad mood and the only reason I can see is that he _hasn't_ pranked her. But I've nothing concrete."

He nodded. "I agree. Look we should arrange to compare notes, but right now we're missing the action let's go downstairs.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"So, Lucy." Casey said with a smile. "Queens!"

Lucy beamed in reply. "I know. It was your alma mater too wasn't it?"

"I had the best time there. I went a shy [cue: Derek snigger] …a shy, bookish girl and left a mature, well-rounded [Derek sniggered again.] woman."

"The only reason you were 'well-rounded' was because you were four months pregnant." He smirked, playing with her hair.

"And whose fault was that?" She glared at him.

"Hey at least I married you first." He grinned at the other couple. "I think she still hasn't forgiven me for the fact that she graduated as Casey Venturi rather than Casey McDonald. We were married in the spring and had a quick honeymoon before our finals. The unexpected result was Stig."

The 'baby' concerned rolled his eyes. He'd heard the story many times before.

"Do you regret not waiting for children?" Lucy asked. Her mother flashed her a 'don't ask embarrassing questions' look.

Casey shrugged. "Not really. I still achieved everything I had planned. And Derek and I really wanted children. I wasn't the only pregnant or married person graduating. At 21 several of our high school friends were onto baby number two by the time we left college.

"Lucy is very career-focused. She's got a _life plan_." Stig said from the sidelines. His contempt was obvious.

"There's nothing wrong with planning a future, _jerk_." Lucy retorted.

"No. But how can you decide at eighteen what you want when you are 21?" He said. Derek looked up suddenly. It was one of the most sensible things he had ever heard his son say.

Lucy shrugged. "So I may change my mind. But I probably won't. I'm pretty determined."

"Yeah. Determined to be old before your time. College is about having fun."

"Actually" Casey intervened. "college is about having fun_ and_ learning. I made the mistake of being too serious about life when I went off to college."

"Tell me about it." Derek said with an affectionate look. "She made colour-coded study plans for both of us."

"And you ripped yours up." Casey said, the affection mutual. James frowned.

"You two knew each other before you went to college?"

Derek glanced at Casey.

"Casey's my step-sister. Although obviously subsequent events have superseded that relationship. Namely the fact, that I married her."

Cathy laughed. "No wonder you two know each other so well."

"Too well at times." Said Casey, smiling at Derek.

Cathy looked at her husband. "Why are you looking like that? Your parents were step-siblings before they married."

"I know. I just find it weird when I find other people who've done that."

Cathy chuckled. "You'll have to excuse him. His parents were incredibly embarrassed about being related and it wasn't until he was sixteen that they told him – their own parents had died before he was born."

Stig tuned out the conversation and looked across at Lucy. He'd made an error a few minutes ago and shown more knowledge of Lucy and her life than he should have done. She had shown her surprise with her eyes, and whilst he was certain no one else had noticed, the fact that she had was unnerving. He didn't understand why he absorbed Lucy facts. He just did. In a quiz where the topic was The Life and Loves of Lucy Morgan he would be the champion. Which reminded him. He had followed up on the Lucy date business and what he heard had concerned him.

He picked up a serviette, balled it and chucked it at her.

"What's all this about you and Matt Hughes?"

Lucy blushed. "None of your business."  
"It is if your relationship starts to affect the smooth running of my hockey team."

"Well it won't so butt out."

He sighed. "yeah well. It's not like I'm interested in either of your love lives, his or yours. But just watch him okay? He has a locker room rep."

Lucy looked up. "Oh?"

"He doesn't take the word 'no' very well."

Lucy glanced at her parents to see if they had heard, but they were busy talking. Stig leaned closer. "I'm serious, Lucy."

Their eyes met and for a second, she lost herself in deep chocolate.

"Thanks." She mumbled. "It was only one date."

"He thinks you'll put out on the next one."

"What?!" She hissed. He shrugged.

"Locker room gossip."

"I'll kill him."

Stig held a hand up. "Do me a favour and wait until after the play offs."

She glared at him and then realised his last comment had been a joke. Despite herself, she laughed.

And suddenly, he was pleased he had told her the truth.


	9. Chapter 9

"Not the disaster you predicted." Derek said, a very sleepy Ruthie resting her head on his shoulder and a tired Alex holding his mother's hand for once. Bethany was in a world of her own again, and for once Stig was quiet.

Casey smiled. "No. It was nice." She opened the front door and let them all into their house, the younger children ran upstairs straight away. "And I think the Queens thing is a good idea. Well done you for suggesting it."

"What Queens thing?" Stig piped up."

Derek grinned, knowing his son was going to hate it. "We are all going to do your exploration visit to Queens together."

Stig frowned. "Who is?"

"Me, your mom, you, James, Cathy and Lucy. We're all going in our car. We're going to stay over night and make a trip of it."

Casey closed the front door quickly so that the neighbours didn't hear the swearing.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

**Stig to Lucy:**

Have you heard their latest hare-brained idea about Queens?

**Lucy to Stig:**

Yeah. Although I have to say the idea of someone other than Dad driving does have its attraction. My big problem is the sleeping arrangements.

**Stig to Lucy:**

Dad's not a good driver either. Best hope Mom takes control.

What sleeping arrangements?

**Lucy to Stig:**

To save on costs, they are only renting three rooms. You and I are expected to share.

Stig's reply was unrepeatable. Lucy couldn't blame him though.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

James looked up at his wife and thought, not for the first time, that he was one of the luckiest men on the planet. It still amazed him on a daily basis that she had chosen him. Right now, she was changing for bed and he was seriously thinking about getting her to stop putting on so many clothes.

"You've got that look in your eye again." Cathy smiled at him.

"What look is that?"

"The one that says I'm going to be lucky if I make it five more minutes with my clothes intact."

James decided to be honest. "Oh come on. If you are going to do provocative things in front of me what do you expect?"

"Provocative? What did I do that was provocative?"

"You took your clothes off."

"I'm getting ready for bed."

"You know, you really don't need to put anything on for bed. I'm quite happy with you the way you are." He was edging closer to her.

"I'm sure you are." She giggled. "Your hands are cold."  
"All of me is cold, babe. Come warm me up."

"Who do you think you are? George Clooney?"

"Nope. I've aged better."

They both laughed and he pulled her onto the bed.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

**Teddy to Lilly:**

So. How about we meet at 'Choke and Float' after school tomorrow and compare Stigy notes?

**Lilly to Teddy:**

'Stigy'?

**Teddy to Lilly:**

Stig/Lucy. I tried Stucy, Sucy, Sticy but Stigy sounds best.

**Lilly to Teddy:**

After school sounds fine, but you're paying.

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**Lucy to Stig:**

By the way. I spoke to Emma (her boyfriend sits near to Matt in Chem.) She confirmed what you said about him.

I dumped him.

**Stig to Lucy:**

Good. Maybe the hockey team stands a chance now.

Stig smiled to himself as he logged off.


	10. Chapter 10

Derek opened a sleepy eye and looked at his wife.

"Are you going to sit there all night, chewing your fingernails? Only it's interfering with my sleep."

She reached out and calmly put her pillow over his head. He sat up suddenly, dislodging the pillow.

"I thought we'd got past the urge to smother Derek with a pillow."

She looked at him. "Just whose bright idea was it to let them share a room?"

"Hey. It was James' suggestion. I just went with it."

She glared at him. "I credited you with more sense than George. I mean, god. He let us sleep in adjacent rooms for years."

"Yeah but that was when we couldn't stand the sight of each other."  
Casey pulled back the covers, exposing both their bodies. At the sight of her with nothing on, Derek's body had an automatic reaction.

"Now tell me that didn't happen when we were fifteen and fighting."

He chuckled and ran a finger along her stomach.

"I never acted on it though."

"Well, not with me anyway."

"Oh no, Casey Venturi! You are not going _there_ okay? We've talked about my behaviour in high school. We agreed it wasn't going to be dragged out at every opportunity. I apologised. Although since we weren't dating at the time, I'm not entirely sure _why_ I apologised."

Casey turned to him and raised her eyebrows.

"Okay…maybe that wasn't the brightest thing I've ever said. Look I'll have a chat to Stig and tell him to behave himself, okay."

"You can't do that. You'll put ideas in his head."

Derek pulled the covers back over them and rested his elbows on his knees.

"You do realise that even if they did have separate rooms, in a hotel situation, they could still bed hop. We did it."

"Yes but maybe Lucy's conscience would get her in the corridor."

Derek smirked. "Yours didn't."

"I was a lost cause." She caught the smirk from the corner of her eye and when his arm slid around her, she sank into him. "I was a lost cause the first time I saw you. I was so screwed."

"Do you realise how long it took me to look up whether it was legal to sleep with your step-sister?"

"About thirty seconds?"

"Less."

They laughed and then kissed for a while.

"Casey. They are adults. They will make their own mistakes. We have to let them."

"And what about the fall-out?"

"Then we act prepared. Because we will be prepared. You always are, honey. And look on the bright side. At least they aren't related."

"It's a shame really." Casey said, losing the fight against his kiss. "Everyone should have a step-brother like mine."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"You're in a bad mood."

"Mom and Dad have agreed to us sharing the journey to Queens with Stig." Lucy said.

"Oh."

"You haven't heard the worst. I've got to share a room with him."  
"That could be…"

"…noisy. Yeah I know."

Lilly smiled to herself. She wondered what kind of 'noisy'.

"So what are you going to do?"

"What can I do? I shall charge my iPod, take a good book and get an early night. And if the worst comes to the worst, I'll lock him in the bathroom."

Lilly wished the Venturis had a bigger car. This trip sounded like fun.

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"So Teddy. How was the barbecue?" Lizzie asked her son as she sorted the washing. It wasn't that Edwin kept her chained to the kitchen sink, she just didn't trust anyone else in the house to do the washing in the most environmentally friendly way.

"Pretty cool actually. Lilly is on my wavelength."

"Oh? Potential girlfriend?"

Teddy laughed. "Mom. Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Start with the Aunt Casey impression." He said it to distract her. Teddy knew that the thought she was behaving like her elder sister irritated Lizzie. She loved her to pieces but Lizzie liked to think they had forged different lives. Teddy often used it to get out of an awkward question. It worked again. Lizzie was deflected from the topic of Lilly.

He tuned his mom out and started to think about his new partner in crime. That Observations file thing was impressive. He was looking forward to comparing his own notes with her. There had been many instances in recent months where Teddy had noticed the way Stig talked about Lucy, and just recently, it was a daily occurrence; almost as if he couldn't go a day without talking about her.

Which was insane, because that would mean…

Teddy grinned. Yes. He definitely needed to compare notes with Lilly.


	11. Chapter 11

There should definitely be a law against early mornings; a sort of early morning curfew, an alarm system that kicked in if you were made to get up before 8am. And leaving the house before 6am… he was contemplating murder. Stig groaned as Derek yanked open his son's curtains.

"Rise and shine, smiler. If I have to get up this early, so do you."

And then, a shower later and they were in the car and turning the corner to the house three streets away where Lucy lived. And her cheery smile for Casey and Derek as she climbed into the car really did not help his humour.

Sticking a leg out so that she fell flat on her face on the floor of the car did, however.

"St-ig! You jerk!"

"Lucy!" Her mother reprimanded as she took her seat beside Casey, leaving James to sit up front with Derek. Lucy had no choice but to join Stig in the very back. He was smirking at her. She frowned, unwound her headphones from her ipod and opened her book.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the silence, it was just that he hated being ignored. And being ignored by Lucy was not acceptable behaviour. He reached over when she wasn't looking and released the seat lever so that her seat sprang bolt upright, knocking her forward and her book fell to the floor.

Lucy glared at him, but her mother was sitting in front of her and she didn't want to be shouted at again, so she bit her tongue. He sighed and looked out of the window, recognising that she wasn't going to bite. It was going to be a long journey.

The parents in the front of the car chatted amiably comparing notes on university courses and stories and eventually, bored of the reminiscing of an older generation, Stig went to sleep. Lucy looked up from her book and smiled at his drooling mouth. She slid her cell phone out from her bag and took a photo. Then she uploaded it to Facebook with an appropriate caption. It would be a while before he appreciated that she had retaliated for the leg-trip and the seat pranks, but he would notice eventually.

It never occurred to her that others would notice too; such as Teddy and Lilly, and also Stig's current girlfriend. Of course the "Stig girlfriend" institution was always a transitory one, but it was usually him that did the dumping. That might not necessarily be the case this time, as he had neglected to tell her that he would be touring the Kingston campus with Lucy.

After an hour on the road, Derek pulled into a rest stop and they had breakfast. Casey smiled at Lucy as she got out of the car. "Everything okay in the back there? It's very quiet."

Lucy looked surprised. "You mean you didn't hear the snoring? I thought you'd brought a grizzly with us instead of your son." She glanced over at the subject of her conversation who, it had to be admitted was doing a very good impression of a brown bear – with a sore head. Casey laughed. "Mornings have never been good for the Venturis. Derek used to be awful first thing in the morning. The only thing that got him out of bed for school in time was the desire to beat me to the shower so that I would be late."

Her husband grinned at her.

"And then while I was in the shower," Casey continued. "He used to tamper with my clothing. Sometimes it was honey or mayonnaise in my underwear drawer or stringing all my bras together so that when I pulled one out they all came with."

Derek smirked and threw an arm around his wife's shoulders. "One morning, she even had to wear my clothes to school."

"Your clothes, your deodorant." Casey said. "I got my own back."

"Yes you did. Didn't you? And even now, no one else believes it was you."

Lucy looked interested. "What did you do?"  
"I moved the new principal's office furniture to the roof of the school. Everyone thought that Derek did it. He nearly got expelled."  
"Case. Everyone _still_ thinks that I did it."

She pulled a face. "Ah. But we know differently. And it was never about what anyone else thought, was it?"

He laughed. "God no! It's never been about anyone else!" He kissed her hair and Lucy smiled. She really liked Stig's parents.

Shame about the son.

Back on the road again and Stig was awake now he had eaten. He pulled his own cell phone from his pocket.

**Nice look, Loopy. U'll pull the class nerd dressed like that. Wait…u R the class nerd!**

**Very amusing. Did it take 90 miles 2 cum up with that?**

**Cum? **He replied; amused that she had used the short hand for the word – and showing her that he was aware of the other connotations it represented.

**No thank u **Lucy typed.

Stig looked across at her in shock. _That_ reply was not what he had expected. He expected a 'Ew…St-ig!' or even to draw a blank because she didn't understand. He didn't expect a reply that could, if you squinted in the right way, appear as _flirting_!

She wasn't looking at him, just staring at her book, but there was a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

If he was being honest, which he wasn't, she looked good. And she didn't really look preppy at all. Nor did she look too casual. Her clothes were tidy and well-fitted, but they weren't unnecessarily tight or revealing. Unlike some of the clothes his groupies wore, Lucy's clothes accentuated her slim dancer's figure in a way that was stylish and (he wasn't going to admit it though) were therefore _more_ attractive; they hinted at what lay beneath rather than showed it off. A hint was far more enticing because the reality was only seen by a select few (normally relatives and medical staff) – and not half the campus.

Caught in the close confines of the car, a situation he was not used to, Stig could smell her perfume, and again it was classic rather than heady, drawing you in rather than putting you off. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat. If you ignored the fact she was far too interested in school work for her own good and the fact that they hated each other, being in close proximity to Lucy Morgan was not an entirely unpleasant experience.

But he still hadn't responded to _that_ text.

**I bet U say that 2 all the guys**

**No I don't**

And that surprised him even more.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The conversation in the front of the car expanded to include the two teenagers. Cathy wanted to know what Stig was majoring in (Sports Science) and his minor subjects (journalism and media studies). His plan was to follow Derek into hockey. His fall-back, like Derek's before him, was sports journalism. Lucy was majoring in English also with a journalism class as well as creative writing. Casey had promised to have a chat to her about that. So they would share one class. Casey breathed a sigh of relief. At least they would get a chance to meet other people and wouldn't be thrown together at every opportunity.

They all talked for a while about the campus and non-academic activities available and slipped yet again into reminiscing. The four parents were once again lost in college stories and Stig rolled his eyes at Lucy. She smiled.

**Euthanasia sounds good about now** He texted to her.

**Them / us?**

**Don't care**

**Make them pull over & we'll run for it.**

**Tempting. But I'm not walking 2 Kingston**

**Good point.**

**R ur parents always like this? Mine R.**

**Either that or mauling each other.**

**Ur parents do that? Mine too**

**I noticed. **

**I'm thinking about putting bromide in dad's tea. The rest of the family would be pleased. No more babies.**

**Nice to have a stable fam**

**I guess.**

**When did ur parents get together?**

**Queens. They h8ed each other till then**

**Why? I mean I know some of it but what do they say?**

**Dad says Mom was a keener & he was the hottest guy in school.**

**What does ur mom say?**

**He was 2 busy chasing skirts 2 c wot was under his nose**

Lucy chuckled.

**Sounds familiar.**

Their eyes met and Lucy's eyes widened as she realised what she had just said. She looked away and ignored him for the rest of the journey.


	12. Chapter 12

"So. Parents! Take the next left and keep walking until you see the sign for the exit. You can have your offspring back at four. The rest of you, follow me."

The tall bond guy was attractive, and Stig had a feeling he would be pissing him off big style by the end of the visit. Stig had an inbuilt barometer for trouble. The blond guy was too smarmy for his own good and being Derek's son had left Stig with a genetic hatred of people who tried to wear arrogance well, and failed. He watched Smarmy "accidentally" brush his hand against the backside of one of the girls in his group and his fingers twitched.

"Don't even think about it, sunshine." Derek whispered in his ear. "Or you can walk back to London. He'll get his. One of the girls will have a hockey player for a boyfriend or something."

"Nice try Dad. But whilst I know you like to play the responsible father, I know for a fact that you got into fights over girls when you were younger."

Derek grinned. "Yeah. But only over one girl - your mother. So. If you're going to clock someone over a female, make sure she's worth it. Otherwise, you get a rep of being a hothead."

Stig grinned. "I thought you were always telling me, I already am one."

"Yeah well…I exaggerate sometimes. I'm proud of you for getting here, you know. Don't screw up."

"You mean, don't get thrown out before we've even started?"

"Exactly. We'll see you and Lucy by the car at four okay? Oh and Stig…look out for her. You prank her and I'll prank you. And I'm better at it than you."

Stig hurried down the corridor after the group, noting with surprise that Lucy had hung back to wait for him. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry. Familiar face and all that. I don't like meeting new people."

"Well there goes my 'pretend like you don't know me' idea."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he grinned.

But he walked beside her, and once on the way, he even held the door.

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Blondie was at it again. This time, he had split the large group into three smaller groups, allocating two of the groups to a couple of girls who were evidently also part of the welcome wagon. The third group he took himself and Stig noted without surprise that there seemed to be a larger proportion of the attractive females assigned to Blondie's group than the other two. Also unsurprisingly, Stig wasn't in his group. Lucy, however, was.

"I guess I'll see you later." She said, and he could have laughed at the sound of reluctance at being separated from him in her voice. It was so uncharacteristic of their relationship.

Because of course, they didn't have one.

He surprised himself by nodding and asking if she had her phone with her. Her lips turned up slightly but she didn't look at him as she patted her bag.

"Later then." He said, wondering what the hell had just happened.

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They toured the campus in their little groups, looking at dorm rooms, lecture halls, libraries, science labs, and bars. At one point, he saw his parents with Lucy's in the distance having a coffee at a pavement café. He like the fact that his parents had aged well, and for a brief second, he saw how they must have looked when they were students here. Derek, in a leather jacket, as always, smirking with his arm slung casually around Casey's shoulders while she looked at him like he was insane. Even across the campus, he could almost fool himself into thinking he had heard her shout, "Der-ek!"

Five minutes later, as they were leaving to move on to somewhere else, Stig glanced back at the café to the table where his parents were sitting. Cathy and James had gone somewhere and Derek and Casey were gazing at each other in _that_ way. Stig rolled his eyes as his mother kissed his father with the sort of abandon that should be illegal for people of their age – but he was smiling as he followed the rest of the group.

The girl who was leading their group was helpful and friendly. She answered lots of questions and Stig found he was interested in her answers because this, in a few short weeks would be his life. It hadn't really sunk in until now.

He made mental notes to bring posters and his own bedding. The orange and brown décor of the blocks harked back to the 1970s (although it was a 2010 reproduction), and it was old and thoroughly depressing. But the little rooms with their strange mismatch of furniture were enticing because they represented freedom and the chance to carve a life for himself. He stood at the window in a dorm living room and looked out across the town. It was different to London and that made him nervous, but Stig knew how to deal with nerves, so he pushed them behind him.

As they made their way across the quad, he spotted Lucy with her group. She didn't wave, and whilst he was grateful for that, he wondered why part of him wanted her to. She seemed to be talking away to a couple of the girls in her group and she seemed pretty happy. Blondie spotted Lucy and Stig watched as he started to talk to her.

"Is that your girlfriend?" The leader of Stig's group asked, interrupting his thoughts. Stig shook his head. "Just a girl from school."

"Well if she's any kind of friend, you'll tell her to steer clear of him."

"Of who?" Stig asked.

"Austin."

"Oh…Blondie."

The girl laughed. "Blondie? Is that what you nicknamed him?"

Stig nodded, feeling foolish. But she grinned. "He's a letch. And yes, it is sour grapes. I did make the mistake of dating him. But it turns out he was dating three of us at the same time. And my best friend told me after I dumped him, that he'd tried it on with her too."

"That figures. Lucy has a habit of picking guys like that."

"So did I. He cured me. I'm not making that mistake again. But I'd say something to her if I were you."

"She'd never listen to me." Then he thought back to his warning about Matt. She'd listened to him then. He watched her smiling at Austin and frowned.

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The groups merged for lunch in the main cafeteria. Lucy was already there, laughing with the two girls and Austin, who appeared to be regaling them with a story about his father's yacht. Stig sighed. He wondered if his conscience would allow him to just walk away to the other side of the room and leave Lucy to her own fate. He checked. It said no. The problem was he could hear the words spewing from Austin's mouth, and it was such a ridiculous line he was pulling, but so completely the sort of thing that chicks went for. And yes he had listened to what his father had said about not getting involved. But his father had also told him to look after Lucy. It was a difficult problem, but, on reflection he was sure he had the solution.

Lucy was listening to Austin. He seemed nice, maybe a bit full of himself, but that was an age thing. She could tell he found her attractive, he was talking to Lucy and her two friends, but his eyes were always on Lucy. Actually, they were always on her chest, but surely that counted? He was talking about taking his father's yacht out over the summer and she could tell he was working his way up to an invitation; a nice idea, but not hugely practical seeing as she lived several hours away – she hadn't got around to telling him. There was something about him that reminded her of Matt. She sighed. Which probably meant dating him would be a big mistake. She started to sink back into the thoughts that had been bothering her for a while now…why on earth had Stig warned her about Matt? He was behaving a bit strangely towards her recently. Still the same old pranks, but the odd moment where they weren't arguing slipped in too. It was all hugely confusing.

A strange hand snaked its way around Lucy's waist and she glanced down at it surprised, and then up again in shock as a voice said, "Hey Babe! Did you miss me?" and Stig planted a kiss on her cheek.


	13. Chapter 13

"St-ig!" Lucy shoved him, but he didn't let go.

"And who are you?" Austin asked, curling an eyebrow up in a way that made Stig want to poke his eyes out.

"Her boyfriend. What's it to you?" Stig said. His arms were wrapped possessively round her now.

Lucy bent her head round and stared at her classmate in disbelief. He nuzzled her ear.

"Go with me on this…okay?" He murmured.

"Why?" She murmured back.

"I'll explain in a minute. But remember the Matt situation?"

Her eyes widened.

Stig grinned at her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Lucy? Are you seriously dating this dick?" Austin asked. "God. I credited you with more taste. Now I can see you're as stupid as the rest of them."

Lucy turned back to him and narrowed her eyes.

"Let me get this straight. You said two sentences to each other, and already you think he's a dick?"

"Um. Yeah. Why…don't you? He's here on a sports scholarship it's written all over him. Why do girls go for brain-dead morons like him?"

Stig waited for Lucy to agree with Austin.

"He's a brain-dead moron with a grade average of A. He deserves to be here on his academic qualifications alone, never mind his skill on the rink. And for the record, his father could probably afford a yacht, but Steven doesn't use it as a pick up line."

Austin looked at her in disgust and then walked away.

"Steven?" Stig said. "Since when the hell have you called me Steven?"

Lucy raised her eyebrows.

"Since when the hell have we started dating and when was it acceptable for you to kiss me?"  
Stig realised his arms were still around her and dropped them.

"Since I promised my dad I'd look after you and the first thing you did was let yourself get chatted up by a letch."

"How do you know he's a letch?"

"Because his ex-girlfriend told me she dumped him for dating three girls at the same time – and since I watched him groping one of the other girls in your group."  
Lucy made a face. "Ew!"

"Exactly."

"Then I guess I owe you thanks…again."

"S'ok. Maybe you should just come ask my opinion before you consider dating."

"Over my dead body, moron."

He laughed. So did Lucy.

"Did you really call me Steven"

"It's your name, jerk."  
"Yeah but only when I'm really bad."

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They sat together at lunch and didn't argue…much.

Lucy was quiet. She was trying not to think about him kissing her or the amused look he had given her afterwards. Or the way his arms had made her heart pound like a cheap romance novel.

The tour resumed with Lucy joining Stig in one of the girl's groups. They stayed together for the rest of the afternoon.

The last place they visited was the ice rink. And as they arrived, Lucy nudged Stig in the ribs and pointed out onto the ice.

A figure was practising blocking movements on the ice with some college hockey players, the coach was off to one side. As the figure turned on the ice, Stig saw the familiar 'VENTURI' on the back of the Queens shirt.

He moved down to the boards and watched as his father demonstrated something to the players. Derek looked up and saw his son watching. He skated across to the coach and spoke to him. And then the next thing Stig knew he was kitted up and on the ice with the team.

Lucy saw Casey and her parents further round the rink and went to join them.

"Derek's good isn't he?" She said.

"The best." Said Casey proudly, looking like a groupie for a moment. "Stig's not bad either. Derek would be proud if he followed him. Mind you, he'd be just as proud if he didn't. He's not as obsessive as some players. He never could be, he's too laid back about everything." She paused. "How was it?"

"Great! I can't wait."

"Did Stig behave himself?"  
"In his own way…yes." Lucy answered with a grin. She wondered what Casey would make of the earlier incident, but decided against telling her.

"Did you four have fun?" She asked her mom. Cathy nodded.

"This place is lovely, Lucy. You're going to have a great time."

"You know," said James. "I might take Derek up on his invitation to a hockey game. I could get into this. It's not bad when you know one of the guys playing."

They stood for a while as the two Venturi males showed off their skill and Lucy could tell from the coach's face that he was impressed with the younger player. She didn't know much about ice hockey, but she could tell Stig was skilled. His whole personality changed on the ice, the clown was gone and he was totally focussed. And Lucy got what her father meant.

It was nearly four, and as Derek and Stig came back to join them, they were grinning broadly. It was so easy to see they were father and son. The four elders started out for the car and Stig joined Lucy as she walked behind them.

"What did you think?"

"Not bad for a 'brain-dead moron'." She quoted. "Your dad's good. He makes it seem interesting. Maybe I should go to a game sometime."

Stig chuckled. "Stop calling me a moron and maybe I'll find you some tickets."


	14. Chapter 14

The motel was cheap but it was clean. They were given three rooms on three different floors, which made Casey nervous. Derek understood, but he still thought she was making a big deal about something they had no control over.

"Maybe you should share with Stig and I'll share with Lucy." She suggested. Derek laughed.

"And start the alarm bells ringing? Besides, all this reminiscing has got me remembering what you were like in college…all those late night 'study' sessions we did. I learnt a lot from you." He said suggestively pulling her back onto the bed.

"I'm not in the mood." Casey said looking up at him with a mock pout.

"I bet I could change that. We've got a while before dinner."

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James was flicking through the television channels while Cathy dozed beside him. He had enjoyed today. Derek and Casey were so similar to him and Cathy (yes, even down to the teasing). And despite the fighting between them which seemed to haunt their school days, even Stig and Lucy had got through one day without parental supervision without fighting. Progress!

Cathy turned in her sleep and he glanced down at her. Her blouse had slipped slightly and he could see a tantalising glimpse of his favourite bra. It was black and pink and did amazing things with her breasts that…he closed his eyes.

Thirty seconds later and he gave up trying to forget the last time that he had seen her in that bra and found himself gently undoing the buttons of her top. His fingers brushed her skin.

"James. What are you doing?"

"Passing the time, I'm bored." He said, reaching the last button.

"Oh." Cathy said sleepily as he started easing her skirt up towards her hips. "Okay. Just try not to wake me."

"That's fine. I'll amuse myself."

His wife let him push her on to her back, and she continued to pretend to doze, smiling.

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"What is it about people of a certain generation and their need to take afternoon naps?" Lucy asked, throwing herself onto one of the single beds in her hotel room.

"Is that what you think they're doing?" Stig said from the other bed. He was watching hockey and was sprawled with his hands behind his head and his feet stretched out.

"Why what do you think they're doing?"

"Well I know what my parents are probably doing, because they never seem to do anything else when it's the off-season and they're alone together. Of course, they do it a lot during the season too, but they seem to think they have permission to do it a lot more when the season ends."

"Which is?"  
"Please tell me you aren't _that_ much of a prude."

Lucy widened her eyes. "My parents won't be."

"Are you sure? They seem to touch each other as much as my parents do…that's normally an indicator."

"Ew!" Lucy exclaimed.

"I know. Old people and sex."

"Your mom isn't old. She could still have children."

"Don't give her any ideas. Being one of four is bad enough."

"Great. So if they are all…communing…what are we going to do?"

"Communing? Why don't you just say 'having sex'?"

"I don't want to be vulgar."

"What's vulgar about sex?"

"It's just…not something I talk about easily."  
Stig chuckled. "Do I infer something from that?"  
"What?"

"That you haven't…"

"None of your business."

"I'll take that as a 'no'."

Lucy huffed. "Why? Have _you_?"  
"Oh. So I don't get to ask, but you do?"

"St-ig. You guessed. It's only fair I get to find out too."

"Then guess." He shrugged.

Lucy looked at him, carefully.

"Well the toilet walls say you have. But I rarely listen to gossip. Knowing your parents, your dating history and the way you behaved today, I would say 'no'."

"Why would you say that?"

"You haven't dated anyone long enough. I think you have standards. I think you've probably fooled around _a lot_ and come _very_ close a few times, but vaulting the hurdle…no."  
He switched the TV off and sat up.

"Well?" she asked. "Did I guess right?"

He got off the bed and walked towards the bathroom, pausing beside her as he went.

"You ever tell a soul…"

"Why would I? You know about me."

"Lucy. The whole school knows about you. I, on the other hand, have a rep to maintain." He went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Girls don't like guys with a lot of experience, you know." She shouted. "It actually makes you more attractive if you haven't…you know…done it."

"_Have sex_, Lucy! For fuck's sake just say the words. I've had enough of the euphemisms." He shouted back.

"No!"

Stig flushed the toilet, washed his hands and emerged from the bathroom. He leant against the bathroom door and smirked at her sitting on the bed.

"Say it."

"No."

He laughed and leant over her. "Say it, Luce the prude. Say "There is nothing wrong with having sex. Having sex does not make me a whore.""  
"St-ig!"

"Say it. You can whisper it if you want."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh for fuck's sake, Steven! There is nothing wrong with having sex. Having sex does not make me a whore. There. Satisfied?"

"Ecstatic!" He laughed. "Come on. Let's go and explore the city while the parentals "commune"."

She laughed and took the offered hand and pulled herself off the bed.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey! A Music shop! Let's go in. I can look for some hot tunes and you can get Leanne Rimes or something."

"Thanks, Stig. But actually, I'm not too keen on Leanne Rimes."

"I thought it was the sort of retro country stuff you'd be into."  
"You are endangering the very existence of whatever pseudo friendship thing we have, Stig."

He chuckled. "Cool."

Lucy rolled her eyes. They had been wandering the town for two hours now and much as they both hated to admit it…they were getting on.

"So just out of interest what sort of thing are you into?"

"Well if you're talking retro, I would go for some Muse or maybe Linkin Park."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah why? You wanna pick holes in my music taste now?"

"No. I don't have a problem with either of those."

She grinned at him. "Not so dorkish am I?"

"Hmmm….I reserve judgement on that."

They entered the store and were soon rifling through CD collections and finding they had a surprising amount in common. In fact the whole day seemed to be going so much better than Stig had anticipated.

Then his cell phone rang.

It was his girlfriend.

"Hey Babe! How are you?"

"You ass. You're dumped!"

"What?!"

"I can't believe you would think I wouldn't work out you were with another girl."  
"Sorry, Jessica. You lost me."  
"When were you going to tell me that you were seeing someone else?"  
"And just who am I supposed to be seeing?"  
"Lucy Morgan."

Stig laughed. "What?!"

"Are you denying you went to Kingston with her today?"  
Stig was silent.

"Where are you now? Stig?"

"Kingston."

"Okay. On your own?"  
"No. My parents are here."

"Okay…anyone else?"

"No."

Lucy chose that particular moment to cross the store and address him.

"Who's on the phone?" she asked in a voice loud enough to carry to the other end of the line.

"She's there. Isn't she?" Jessica said.

"Jess. It's not like that."

"Really. Check her facebook page."

Jessica hung up.

Stig swore and shut his phone.

"Lucy. Did you post something on Facebook about me?"

She frowned and shook her head. "Oh. Hang on! There was the photo from this morning."

"What photo from this morning?"  
She opened her bag and took out her cell phone. "This." Lucy found the picture of him sleeping and the caption. "Awww! How cute!"

He pulled a face.

"My girlfriend doesn't find it cute at all." He snapped.

"Oh. Sorry."

"In fact. She's now my ex-girlfriend."  
"Stig. I'm sorry okay. Things were different this morning…I…"

He was gone the shop door slamming behind him.

She trailed him back to the motel and to their room. Part of her wondered what the hell Jessica Rodriguez would make of the fact they were sharing a room.

Stig was in the shower. His cell was on his bedside table. Lucy took it, scrolled down to Jessica Mob and made a note of the number, and then she slipped outside of the room.

It wasn't an easy call, but it was one she had to make.

"Jessica. Um…It's Lucy Morgan…DON'T HANG UP. Okay. Um…I just need to explain, that you've got the wrong end of the stick. Me being in Kingston with Stig is the biggest joke ever. It's our parents' idea okay. We hate each other. And to be honest he's been driving me crazy all day going on about how wonderful you are. It's been excruciatingly annoying." She lied. The only reason she knew he was dating Jessica was because she had overheard his conversation with her.

"…anyway. Please. I'm not after your boyfriend. Stig and me would be a disaster. You really don't have any reason to be jealous. After all what would a guy like him be doing with a virginal Klutz like me?

Jessica said a few (not hugely flattering) words. It didn't matter though, because she promised she would phone Stig.

Lucy went for a walk so she didn't hear the call.

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She was dressed in a simple black dress for the evening meal. Stig had disappeared when she got out of the shower and changed. He reappeared as it was time to go.

"Why did you do that?" He asked.

"Do what?"

"Phone Jessica."

"I didn't want any rumours starting about me."

"You told her I talked about her all day."  
"It was what she wanted to hear."  
He looked thoughtfully at her. "Thanks…I'm not hugely sure she's worth it. But thanks."

"You're welcome. That makes us even, right?"

He grinned. "Yeah. Even."

They went to dinner with their parents.

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Lucy might not have noticed that Stig watched her that evening, but Casey did. And strangely enough, it reassured her. She didn't recognise all her son's facial expressions but she recognised her husband's. She's seen the one Stig was wearing right now on Derek, right about the same time as he realised Casey was in his life for keeps. And it made her wonder if maybe she had got her son wrong; it almost looked as though he had already discovered the capacity for love.

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It was dark in their room.

"Do you love her?"

"Who?"

"Jessica."

"I'm eighteen, Lucy. Who falls in love at eighteen?"  
"You might."

"Yeah well…no. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased you rang her and everything, but love it definitely isn't."  
"Have you come close with her?"  
Stig was taken aback. Since when did he share confidences with Lucy?

"No. Do you really want to discuss my sex life?"

"Or lack there of…" She chuckled. "No. I was just curious."

"So how far have _you_ gone?" He asked.

"Far enough, thank you." She said in a grandma tone. He laughed.

"How about we jack this conversation in now before it gets unbearable?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Let's talk hockey."

"Let's not."

"Do you play cards?" He asked suddenly.

"Depends what you mean."

"Poker."

"I'm not playing strip poker, Stig."  
"Neither am I. I meant straight forward poker."

"Okay." She sat up and switched on the light. Stig got out of bed, rummaged in his rucksack and then came to perch on her bed.

"Do you know how to play?"  
"Not really."

"Okay. Here goes…"


	16. Chapter 16

The weeks passed and little really changed. To Lilly and Teddy's surprise, nothing spectacular seemed to have happened on the Queen's trip. When they returned, Stig still pranked Lucy and she still moaned, constantly about him. Life returned to normal. On the face of it.

There were instances which no one else saw though.

Quite often, Stig looked up during his hockey games and saw Lucy hiding at the back of the spectator benches. She was never there at the beginning and never there at the end, but he knew she'd seen most of the game. Sometimes he caught her eye and grinned but if he had stopped her in the hall at school and asked about it, she would have denied it.

In return whenever it happened in his presence, Stig skilfully deflected teasing away from her and she alone noticed.

And every now and then, when fate had them stumble across each other in a quiet area of the school with no witnesses, they did talk. Nothing spectacular just,

"My god! It's alive!"

"Thanks Stig I appreciate that."

He would laugh, then…

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Still here."

"Still with Jessica?"

"Hmmm."

"Aw. Young Love."

"Thanks Lucy." He would say sarcastically.

And then one time.

"Do me a favour Steven. Don't let _her_ be your first time."

Lucy had walked away leaving him looking bemused.

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And then there was Senior Prom. For Lucy, it was an excruciating evening.

It started with her date dumping her for his ex-girlfriend about five minutes after they walked through the door. (He'd only asked Lucy to make his ex jealous). Emma and her boyfriend were getting on very well and being around them was akin to going on someone else's honeymoon. And then a close friend of Stig's girlfriend remembered about the whole Queens thing and decided to pick on her all evening.

Lucy really wondered why she had bothered going.

In fact, as she sat on the steps of the fire escape she was contemplating leaving.

Stig appeared. "Hi Loopy."

"Not in the mood, go away."

He stepped through the doorway. "What's up?"

She told him.

"Ah. Prom night. The happiest night of the year and the most tragic." He looked around him to see if anyone had noticed them talking.

"Come on." He said and started to climb higher up the fire escape. He held a hand out to her.

"Are you crazy?" She cried her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Probably. Come on. Before Jessica misses me and comes looking."

So she hoisted her dress and climbed carefully up the ladder. At the top was the roof and a large section of it was flat. They could hear the music from below.

Stig stood in the middle away from the edge for which Lucy was grateful, she wasn't good on heights. It was a warm evening, but high on the roof there was a slight breeze.

"Do something crazy." He said. "Dance with me."

"That really would be crazy. For a start, we hate each other. Never mind the fact half the school would have a coronary if they even saw us talking. Not to mention your girlfriend!"

"Lucy. The people down there are high school. We're moving on. Their opinion doesn't count. And I'm not asking you to date me. I'm asking you to dance with me – one dance; up here, where no one else can see us."

"Why?"

"Because we've both had a crap Prom and I want to rescue something from tonight."

"Your Prom night is crap?"

"I've argued with my best friend, been pushed around by my so-called girlfriend, and now one of my other friends is refusing to dance with me."

He stepped forward and took her hand.

"Please?"

"One dance – that means nothing?"  
"One dance that means nothing and then you can go back to being the shy keener in the corner."

"Okay." She said and let him pull her into his arms.

It was a slow, love song and she smiled at the irony of who she was dancing with. His fingers held her waist and hand in a traditional, respectable way. To her surprise, he could dance.

"Where did you learn to dance?" She asked.

"I'm my mother's son. She occasionally practices at home and needs a partner. Dad always bows out. I guess I should too, but she said I'd be glad of it one day. You've had lessons too?"

"I did ballroom before I got into jazz. You realise we are probably the only two people in the entire building who are dancing properly?"

"Strictly speaking we aren't _in_ the building."

"No. I guess not." They grinned at each other.

Silence settled over them, broken only by the distant music.

"You're too good for high school, Lucy. You'll find your place in college."

She was embarrassed and started to pull away.

"Don't go Lucy. Learn to accept compliments." She relaxed in his arms and he pulled her closer as they danced again. "I'm sorry, about the pranks."

"S'ok. Some of them were fun and it meant someone was paying attention to me. Most of the time I just get ignored."

"You weren't being ignored. Just avoided. You showed responsibility and teenagers aren't exactly good at embracing that. Your behaviour reminded us that soon we have to take over the running of our own lives and that scared us."

"I scare you?"

"Crazy, eh?"

"Totally."

"You scare me for other reasons now though." He murmured.

"Which are?"

"I'll tell you when we're at Queens."

There was nothing to say to that. Below them they could hear shrieks and laughter.

Lucy shifted her head from where he had rested it on his shoulder and looked at Stig.

"So. Prom night. So many things happen on Prom night."

"Yeah. I guess plenty of girls lose things they can't get back tonight." He spoke meaningfully.

"Including Jessica?" She asked quietly.

Stig chuckled. "I think hers went a long time ago."  
Lucy looked away.

"But not with me." He whispered. "And that isn't going to happen tonight."

"Why?"

"I'd call tonight our swansong. I've dated her for four months so I thought it would be mean not to take her to Prom but realistically we both know this is the end. I think that's why she's being so demanding tonight."

He sighed. "Talking of which, I'd better get back." He let go of Lucy and then took her hand. "Come on. I'll help you down the ladder. It won't be easy in that dress. Which, by the way, looks amazing on you."

Lucy smiled at him. "Flatterer." Then she paused. "Thank you. For the compliments and the dance."

"You're welcome. Just remember, it never happened."

"Who are you again?"

They laughed and then he started down the ladder.

At the bottom, he lifted her down from the last rung. He glanced around to make sure he didn't have an audience and then pressed a tiny kiss on her forehead.

Then he was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Another day, another early morning roll call. Stig groaned and grabbed a pillow to block out the light and sound.

"Forget it, wise-guy, you aren't missing your own graduation." Derek said sitting down on Stig's bed.

"Steven, we need to talk."

"Jeez dad. As if the early start isn't bad enough, now you're laying the 'Steven' crap on me."

"I'm going to talk and you are going to listen, because if you don't it will be your mother who performs this speech and hers will be longer and more intense…okay?"  
"Fine. Go ahead."

"Good. Lucy."

"What about her?" Stig tried not to show his sudden interest. Lucy was not exactly the topic of conversation he had been expecting.

"I seriously hope you aren't planning to prank her during her speech?"

"What makes you think I'm going to pull a prank today?" He asked. "Maybe, I've decided not to. Maybe that's the prank."

"Nice try. But I pulled that pretence scenario first, remember? I just want to be reassured that whatever prank it is you are going to pull, it isn't going to be timed for during Lucy's speech."

Stig sighed, and was honest for once.

"Dad, I'm not going to prank Lucy during her speech, okay?"

"Okay. Good." Derek checked his son's tell, the nervous little flicker in the corner of his dark eyes. He believed him. "Now get up and get ready."

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Lucy had retreated to her usual bolt hole when she was nervous, the school library. Stig was fairly sure he wasn't supposed to have figured that out. But he had. And, as had been the case for so much of the past school year, his family and hers had come together to chat before the ceremony. Lucy had been missing and no one could answer as to where she had gone. Stig slipped away to look for her.

She was looking out of the library window at the school grounds. Her hair had been pulled up into a tight arrangement and she was wearing smart clothes under her graduation robes.

"If you're thinking of jumping, don't let me stop you." He said, leaning against a bookcase.

She smiled weakly at him. "I don't think even I'm that desperate."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"And I hate heights."

He chuckled. "So how come you managed that little stunt on the roof for prom?"

"I guess my sense of fun overcame my common sense." She frowned. "Did mom send you?"

"As if they would send _me_ to find _you_." He moved closer and motioned to her hair. "Are you going for the tight-ass librarian look?"

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Anyway. You're in danger of missing your own graduation speech, so unless you want to look like you're the one pulling the prank, I suggest we go join them now."

She sighed. "Yeah. I know." She stepped towards him on her way to the door. As she passed he reached up and pulled the hair fastening from her hair, causing it to tumble down to her shoulders.

"St-ig!" Lucy protested.

He grinned and made for the door. "Believe me Loopy, you look much prettier with your hair down." Then he made his escape, leaving a very surprised Lucy in his wake.

"What happened to your hair?" Cathy asked her daughter as she rejoined them.

"Change of heart." She murmured.

Her mother smiled. "Well I think you were right. It looks much prettier down."

Stig was standing with his own parents and over heard. He caught her eye and grinned.

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Derek watched his son carefully during the speeches. Stig looked bored to tears. He wore his graduation robes reluctantly and slouched in his seat. It was obvious to anyone who cared to look that he was there under duress. Stig still hadn't pulled his prank and despite the reassurance he had been given earlier, Derek was still concerned about his son's history with the pretty brunette who Stig had nicknamed 'Klutzilla'. Derek looked at his own 'Klutzilla and she met his eyes, her hand lacing itself with his.

"Are you as nervous about this speech as I am?" he asked in a whisper.

"You didn't interrupt _my_ speech." She said with a smile.

"No. I considered it for a while though." He smirked at her.

"Why didn't you?" she asked. It was a question she had never asked before.

"I thought I was losing you, that you were off to college. I wanted to make sure you didn't sever all ties with me. I wanted you to miss me…and not because your life was suddenly less complicated. The time for you to go was drawing near, and we didn't have enough good memories of us. Of course, I hadn't realised that you were going to my college then. Or that there was any chance you would miss me the way I missed you."

Casey squeezed his hand.

"I stood on that podium and looked into the audience and you weren't there. It's what threw me; the thought that there would be a time when I would look up and not see you."

"I was there. I was in the wings, waiting. I nearly walked onto the stage and kissed you when you finished."

"Why didn't you?"

"Fucking Truman." He hissed. "I looked over and you were staring into the audience and I could see you were looking straight at the asshole."

Casey chuckled. "I was looking for you, moron."

Derek looked at her in surprise.

"Still it's probably a good thing you didn't. Afterall, I don't think Mom and George would have appreciated us announcing our relationship in front of half of London."

"Now that would have been a reputation to leave." Derek said with a smile. He saw Lucy stand up to give her speech and a few seats away, he saw his son straighten as he spotted her.

"Ladies, gentlemen, teachers, my fellow graduates. The time has come, the bell has rung. School is out. So before we push open the doors, stampede towards the car park, let us pause and reflect on what this means. Where do we go as we pass out into the post-high school world?

Some of us will soon make for college, some of us will stay close to home, some of us will travel the world, professionally or on gap years. The reality is, whether we stay close to home or move away, we are all travellers. We are all explorers. Each new experience of life is a new world waiting for us to enjoy, and each of us defines that world. _We_ can say whether it will be a black and white existence or one full of Technicolor. If you take time with your discoveries the world will open up to you. The more you put into your exploration, the more you discover. We've been on planet high school for a long time, and what we are here has defined us. People have gained labels and reputations. But the worlds we move on to have no preconceived ideas about us. This is our chance to break the mould. Review yourself, redefine yourself, make the most of yourself. Go out into a world that needs new blood and don't take your old thoughts, have new ones.

The world does not need clones, it needs individuals, it needs people who have new thoughts, new feelings, it needs you to learn from the mistakes of the past. Don't settle for the rut. Don't settle for expectations. Challenge. If people only stayed in their comfort zones, we would not have learnt to fly, we would not be exploring space, and without the discovery of fire we would still be in caves.

You have studied the lessons of high school. Go out and study the lessons of life.

Break moulds, challenge theories. Let the class clown become the lawyer. Let the keener start the party."

Lucy looked at Stig as she finished.

"Do something crazy. Dance with the devil and learn to live."


	18. Chapter 18

It was a long, unusually hot summer. Lilly and Teddy spent most of it swimming in the Morgan's pool. There wasn't much opportunity for 'Stig and Lucy watching' since Stig's family was taking a long vacation in Florida. And Lilly and Teddy's own friendship was budding into romance quite nicely. Lucy watched them chasing each other around the pool with reserved amusement. She suddenly felt very old – and very vulnerable. In a few short weeks she would be leaving home to go to college. She tried to spend her time enjoying her family life and the things around her that would, oh so soon, be gone.

She opened her laptop in her room, logged in to Facebook and typed a private message.

**L: Your cousin and my sister are chasing each other round the pool. When did that happen?**

**S: Teddy and a girl??????!!!! Roflmfao!**

**L: I kid you not. How's Miami?**

**S: Hot.**

**L: The weather or the girls?**

**S: Both.**

**L: You are so predictable, Stig!**

**S: You asked. How's London?**

**L: Hot. And no the guys aren't.**

**S: Ha! Ha! You mean you aren't spending all your time at 'Choke and float' eyeing up the talent?**

**L: What talent? I went to school with those guys.**

**S: Aw come on. Matt might be there.**

**L: Not funny.**

**S: You could always give Austin a call.**

**L: Like your taste in girls is any better.**

**S: I'm having a nice girl-free vacation at the moment. Looking but not touching.**

**L: Yeah right. I just saw a pig coming into land.**

**S: Oh ye of little faith.**

**L: Stig. The day you aren't chatting up a girl is the day I jack in my university career and go sailing round the world with a hairdresser called Ramone.**

**S: Aw! And I was so looking forward to going to Queen's with you. Have a nice trip.**

**L: Moron.**

**S: Lamebrain**

**L: Jerk**

**S: Keener**

**L: I gotta go. Mom wants me to go grocery shopping with her.**

**S: This rock n roll life you lead.**

**L: Like your life is any better.**

**S: Hey. I'm the one in Miami! **

**L: Because your father is paying for it. **

**S: Have fun. Don't trip over in canned goods, Klutzilla.**

Lucy shut her laptop down, not entirely sure why she had just had that conversation. There had been a few like it lately. Sometimes it was her that sent the first message, sometimes it was Stig. There had been a conversation the day before yesterday when Stig was still in London, and one the day before that. There hadn't been one yesterday because he was travelling, but now this conversation. It was almost as though they couldn't go a day without arguing with each other.

Stig didn't close his laptop. Instead, he explored Lucy's Facebook profile and left "witty" comments on all her photos. He paused on the photo she had taken of him in the back of his dad's car. It reminded of something and he _alt-tab_'d to the main screen and clicked through his folders until he found the file he was looking for.

When they had shared the hotel room in Kingston, the memory of the whole 'drooling Stig' business was recent and although he appreciated her phoning his ex and smoothing over the fall-out with her, it didn't escape the fact she had taken a photo of him in an unguarded moment. He was itching to do the same to her. So he had waited until she was sound asleep in the bed next to his and then taken a photo of her, hair spread across the pillow.

It had back-fired though. Because when he had looked at the picture afterwards in the cold light of day he realised he could never post it. For two reasons: firstly, she had a pair of pyjamas with a strappy top, and in the picture the straps weren't visible so she looked like she was naked beneath the sheets; secondly, far from looking horrifically bad, she looked incredible, beautiful, completely at peace. He realised this is what you would see if you woke up beside her; which meant he could not post the picture, because posting it would be sharing that sight, and he didn't want to.

Posting it would also reveal something about Stig that he wasn't ready to share.

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Lucy did go to "Choke and Float" later that day with one of her friends, a rather petite extravert who went by the name of Chloe. They sat in a booth, drank rather large milkshakes and shared a pastry.

"So. Any good gossip?" Chloe asked. Lucy smiled and shook her head. Chloe continued. "I hate the summer. All the exciting stuff happens over the summer and then you have to wait until the Fall to find out about it." She sighed. "Except of course we won't find out because we'll all be spread across Canada. The last decent thing of any note was when Stig dumped Jessica. He's probably been through five girlfriends since then."

Lucy looked into her milkshake and said casually, "The last I heard he was crying off girls for a while." Chloe shook her head.

"Nah. Guys like Stig always have a girl. Whoever you spoke to has it totally wrong."

"Yeah you're probably right."

"Luce. I'm always right."

Lucy smiled inwardly. She wondered what Chloe would say if she knew that information had come directly from Stig. On reflection she decided not to share – the biggest piece of summer gossip might be that Stig had started to have daily conversations with "Klutzilla".

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Later that night, her phone vibrated on the nightstand waking her up. Who the hell was phoning her at1.30 in the morning? When she saw the call display she didn't believe it.

"It's 1.30 in the morning, Steven." She said, using his "bad" name in her frustration.

"Did you know that a pig's orgasm can last thirty minutes?" he said, in disbelief.

"Please tell me you called for some other emergency like you left a tap running rather than to tell me that."

"Hey. Come on! This is important information for life."

"Stig. I'm tired. I was asleep."

"Well. I needed to tell someone, I just googled it."

"Why did you google it?"

"What else is there to do at 1.30am?"

"I don't know…sleep?"

"You have no life."

"Says the guy who stays up late googling sex facts about farmyard animals." She said, laughing despite herself.

"I made you laugh though."

"Next time you want to make me laugh, could you do it in the daytime."  
"It's more fun at night."

"You really are evil, you know that."

"Better the devil you know." He said. And both their thoughts turned to the graduation ceremony.


	19. Chapter 19

When she finally left for Queens it had been four weeks since she had seen Stig. Not that she was counting. He returned from Florida and there was a two day period where they were both living in houses two streets apart. That was the last time she had seen him. Then it was her turn for a long vacation and when she returned from that, Stig was already in Kingston on a pre-college hockey training course.

Those two days in the middle, four weeks ago, she had 'bumped into' him four times.

The first time, Lucy was having hot chocolate at 'Choke and Float' with Chloe again. She had assumed she could safely avoid him there as he had only landed late the night before, and could hardly be expected to cover his shift the next morning.

Except he did.

Chloe being there helped. It meant he was limited to their usual argumentative relationship and not the strange, not entirely unwelcome closeness that had developed.

"Hi Loopy and Loopy's friend, what can I get you?"

"Another server."

"Nice. You lucked out, we're short staffed, and you got me."

Chloe was slightly in awe. She didn't think she had been this close to Stig Venturi before. She thought she might be in love.

Lucy had no such illusions.

"Well in that case, I'll have…"

"…a tall hot chocolate with extra marshmallows, hold the choc sauce." He finished for her. She frowned.

"Actually," she said accentuating every syllable. "I'll have a cappuccino."

Stig curled an eyebrow. "Fine. And for you sweet cheeks?" he asked, turning to Chloe who blushed and became unable to speak.

"She'll have the hot chocolate." Lucy answered for her.

Stig smiled. "Coming right up."

Chloe melted onto the table. "Oh. He is definitely better close up."

"Chloe. He's a moron."

Her friend stiffened. "What is wrong with you? You must be the only girl in the district who isn't interested in him."  
Lucy said nothing.

Chloe started to wax lyrical about Stig's tan and Lucy began to think seriously about euthanasia.

"There you go: one hot chocolate and one cappuccino. Enjoy!" Stig said, depositing their drinks on the table in front of them.

Lucy waited until his back was turned and swapped their drinks around.

"Why did you do that?" asked Chloe.

"I hate cappuccino."

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The second time was later the same afternoon. Lucy was working her last shift in the music store in which she had been earning some extra cash before her holiday. She watched him walk past the store, do a double take and then enter the shop.

"Excuse me." He said as though he didn't know her. "Can you tell me where I can find the Death Thrash?"

"Try the Hells Angel bar round the corner. They'll welcome you with open arms."

"Great. While I'm here, I'm looking for Nirvana."

"Try meditation."

"I meant the band."

"Under 'N'."

"You pissed at me?"

"Hmmm. Yes."

"Why?"

"You woke me at 1.30am to tell me that pigs have orgasms which last thirty minutes."

"It's an important fact. In my next life I want to be a pig."

"That would mean more if I didn't know you were a virgin. You've probably never experienced an orgasm."

He smirked at her.

"…that wasn't self-inflicted." She amended, pulling a face as she did so.

"And you have?" he asked, amused.

"Stig. Can we drop this please?"  
He laughed. "Anyway. I'm back. So no more middle of the night phone calls."

"Good. I shall be immensely grateful for that fact while we are in Paris."

"Texas?"

"France, moron. My family has some class."

"So does mine."

"Your family does. You on the other hand…"

"Be nice."

"I am. I haven't kicked you out the store, yet."

"Come on Luce, is that any way to treat your best college bud?"

"Do I get some say in that?"

"Being realistic. No."

"Fine. Just so I know."

He smirked at her and she grinned reluctantly and shook her head.

"What happened to me being a 'keener', 'grade grubber' and 'klutzilla'?"

He smiled. "We graduated, Lucy." And he walked out of the shop.

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The Third Time:

"Lucy!"

"Yes Mom!" Lucy called down the stairs.

"I need you to go round to Casey's for me. She is lending us some European plug adapters for our vacation. Can you pop round and pick them up for me?"

Lucy sighed then she looked at the clock. It was still early enough for Stig to be at work.

"Sure Mom." She said and charged down the stairs.

"Hi Lucy!" Casey greeted her friend's daughter with genuine enthusiasm. "Can I get you a cold drink? We're just having fresh orange juice outside."

"That would be nice, thank you."

Casey followed her idol into the backyard to where Stig's younger siblings were playing in the pool.

"You'd think they'd never seen water before." Casey said in amusement. Lucy laughed.

"So. Are you looking forward to college?" Casey asked.

Lucy nodded. "So much. I'm scared about leaving my family though."

"I was. Of course it was different for me, because Derek came with me, but leaving Lizzie and Marti…even Edwin…and Mom was pregnant which made it harder."

"Did you always know that you loved Derek?" Lucy found herself asking.

Casey looked at Lucy.

"That's not easy to answer. He's always been important in my life. But we argued constantly for the first three years. Then when we went to college, something changed. We became reliant on each other. But I think, deep down, there was always something there. Arguing with me, pranking me took up a lot of his time. I think he spent more time arguing and pranking me that he did with any of his girlfriends."

"How did you handle the pranking?"

Casey smiled. "I learnt to prank back."

Lucy grinned.

"Do you want some tips?" Casey found herself asking.

"Maybe." Lucy admitted. They both laughed.

"I'll see what I can do."

Time passed quickly. Casey was outlining the plot to her new book and Lucy forgot that she was there for a purpose. Then the front door slammed, and Stig walked in.

"Urgh! Mom, we got a pest problem again." He said nodding towards Lucy.

"Steven. Be nice." Casey said.

Lucy smiled. "It's okay, Casey. I need to go anyway. Mom will be wondering where I am."

"Sure. I'll get those plugs for you." She disappeared inside as Lucy finished up her drink.

"When do you go to Paris?" Stig asked.

"Tomorrow." Lucy replied.

And that was all he said.

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The final time was after lunch the same day. The good weather had continued and this time it was Teddy who was swimming in the Morgan's pool with Lilly. Lucy swam for a bit too and then pulled herself out of the pool and went upstairs to change. She showered and slipped on a pretty summer dress, and then combed her hair to let it dry. Unwilling to go back down into the direct sunlight, she lay on her bed reading one of Casey's novels.

A movement at the corner of her vision made her look towards her door. Stig was standing there, watching her. Lucy sat up.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your mom said I could come up."  
"Why?" she asked, suspiciously. He laughed.

"Because idiot, I wanted to give you this." He threw a CD case towards her.

"It's the new one from that group I was telling you about. Keep it. I thought you could take it with you for the flight."

Lucy looked at him as though he was talking in tongues.

"Don't worry. It isn't booby trapped."

"Thanks." She said tentatively.

"Are you taking your laptop?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Email me?" He asked.

She sighed. "I never know where I am with you. One minute you're an ass and then the next you're my new best friend."

Stig moved to sit on her bed.

"It confuses me too."

They both went to pick up the CD and their fingers brushed. Stig dropped the case and took her hand. He kissed her fingers.

"Have fun in Paris." He said quietly and then he was gone.


	20. Chapter 20

Paris. City of culture and romance. Cathy loved it. James had a bit of a soft spot for it too; which he would never admit in a million years. But it had been a college trip to Paris when he had met Cathy – fallen over her suitcase actually. So when his wife suggested that they return to the city of their youth to introduce their daughters to it, he was enough of a softie to agree.

Lilly was grumpy for the whole flight. Teddy had kissed her for the first time the day before they left and she was reluctant to leave him. It had taken him all summer to pluck up the courage and when he finally managed it they had less than twenty four hours as a couple before she was whisked away. Life was not fair.

Lucy, however, was grateful for the distraction. The whole Stig business was confusing. Too confusing. She pushed it all to one side and dug her nose into her guide book again, her ipod playing the CD Stig had given her yesterday just before he kissed her fingers…she turned her head to the window of the plane and watched the clouds below. If anyone had asked about the small smile on her lips she would have denied it even existed.

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They were staying in the bohemian area of St Germain des Pres. Except that, these days, Lucy thought describing somewhere as bohemian when it had a Cartier shop in the middle of it was pushing things. She said as much to Stig when she emailed him.

Their fantastic little hotel in a side street was tiny. There was barely room for two in the lift and the girls took to racing their parents up the stairs to their rooms, which once there they had to duck into. But the rooms were newly furbished with new double showers and stylish fittings and from the window of the room she shared with Lilly, Lucy could see four of the pavement cafes which she had read so much about.

The metro system with its intricate wrought iron signs and stylised writing captured her imagination, and then they stepped onto a train to Le Louvre. They were joined immediately by an accordion player and his friend totting a double bass and Lucy's heart caught as they started to play before the doors had even closed. The music, something she didn't recognise but which was so characteristically Parisian made her forget the little rat she had seen under the rails just before the train pulled in. She wondered if any place in the world managed to be exactly what you read on the guide book page the way that Paris was. When the train stopped at Le Louvre, she marvelled at the display cases on the platform and then her parents pulled her on into the museum.

Later that night, she tried to describe the whole experience to Stig in an email. She wrote five or six paragraphs and still felt she had hardly scratched the surface. Soon the emails describing her days became a regular occurrence and Stig's witty and lengthy replies became something she looked forward to.

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Stig was working double shifts at 'Choke and Float' because he would not be able to work for the last two weeks of the vacation and his father had told him whatever money he earned in the vacation, Derek would double. So he came home very late at night worn out. He would go straight to his room because no one else was up and flick on his laptop to read Lucy's latest email.

She wrote like a travel guide but because it was Lucy, he found it interesting. She described the places she visited, the things she had seen and the people she had watched. There was colour in her writing, and humour. And he liked the way she always signed her emails **LucyX**.

He replied. Stories of the goings on in the café, which considering the cross section of the population of London were quite entertaining. In two weeks, he watched marriages break up, affairs started, and even crimes planned (although that was just a case of vandalism, and the owner had quickly stepped in to stop that one.) He told her about his own holiday, what his family were doing, and his preparations for Queens. Once he nearly told her he missed her. But he deleted the words at the last minute.

Casey was surprised at her son. The last few months he had seemed to grow up. She watched him from a distance and one time her mind played tricks on her and she saw teenage Derek again. Then she realised the reason behind the change, and suddenly warning Cathy seemed like a cruel thing to do.

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"Stig's in love." Casey announced one evening as she lay with Derek in bed watching a film. Derek chuckled. "It's taken you this long to realise it?"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, he's been working his way up to it since we went to Queens. I'm not worried about him breaking her heart. I'm worried about Lucy breaking his."

"He is mopping about a bit."

"He'll be at college soon. They'll sort it out."

"I've not seen him like this before, though."

"Case. He's a big boy now. Not your little ankle-biter anymore."  
"I feel old."  
"You look it."

Casey stuck her tongue out at him. He grinned and she felt his hand under her nightshirt.

"Good thing I'm into old hags isn't it?"

"If I were you, I'd start laying the charm on, because going down the route you're on will just lead to a night on the sofa and a bit of a drought in the physical gratification department."

"I love it when you use big words."

"Der-ek." Casey said fairly weakly as he started to undo the buttons on her shirt.

He began to kiss her neck.

"Shall I turn the film off?" he asked.

"You don't deserve this Venturi." She groaned as he kissed his way to her collarbone.

"No?"

"No." Casey fixed his eyes with her own and slipped her own arms around his neck. "I on the other hand, do deserve it."


	21. Chapter 21

Lucy sat in her dorm room biting her lip to stop the tears. So far she thought she had done well at Queens. She hadn't cried when she had said goodbye to her parents and Lilly, although the elephant sitting on her chest and the concrete block in her throat had been incredibly painful. She hadn't cried when the door closed after them and she was left on her own in her room. Instead, she had started to unpack, pulling a brightly patterned quilt from a box and starting to make the bed.

So why was she fighting back tears now? Two weeks into term.

She was checking her email. It wasn't that her inbox was empty. She had an email from her parents, two from Lilly (one of which was co-authored by Teddy), emails from three of her school friends.

But none from Stig.

It had been that way for two weeks. Despite her own emails to him.

Email one (sent on day two of Queens):

**Hi Stig. Where did you get to last night? You said something about coffee? Call me.**

Email two (sent three days later):

**Stig?**

Email three (sent yesterday – two weeks into life at college):

**Are you still on the planet? Because if you don't answer this email I'm going to assume I'm not cool again, and the whole 'best buds' bit was another Stig prank. …**_**Please**_** Stig.**

Twenty four hours later and still no reply.

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After Paris, they had corresponded daily – sometimes more than once, for the whole of the rest of the vacation – even when Stig went off to Queens early. He told her all about the campus and this great little coffee shop he had found which did great hot chocolate and marshmallows. They had agreed that they would go there when she arrived.

Even the night before she left London, they had agreed to meet in the student bar at 7pm the following day. Lucy was slightly apprehensive about seeing him again after a month. The last time she had seen him had been the time he had put her fingers to his lips and kissed them.

But then when Lucy went to the bar that night, he never showed. And no emails, calls or anything since.

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This is what happened:

_Lucy was unpacking in her room when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find a friendly faced girl, blonde hair and grey eyes._

"_Hi. I'm Suzy. You're my next door neighbour, so I thought I'd come and introduce myself."_

_Lucy smiled. "Lucy." They shook hands and Lucy opened the door wider to let her new acquaintance further in._

"_Wow! That's pretty!" Suzy said, brushing a hand over the bright quilt._

"_My mom bought me it to brighten up the room."_

"_It's lovely. Where are you from?"_

"_London, Ontario."_

"_I'm from Toronto. Do you know anyone else on campus?"_

_Lucy nodded. "A guy from my school. I'm supposed to be meeting up with him in the bar tonight."_

"_Boyfriend?" Suzy asked._

_Lucy blushed. "No."_

"_But you'd like him to be?" She saw Lucy look even more embarrassed. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I've been here a day already. Come and meet some of the others."_

_So Lucy had carefully locked her door and followed her new friend into the common room to meet the rest of the dorm._

_Lucy had been lucky with her dorm. For a start, they had single rooms each with its own little sink, so she wasn't forced to share and it was close to the campus. Now that she had met some of her companions, she was pleased to see that she had also been lucky with the people she would be living with. When she said that she was supposed to meet someone in the bar at 7pm, five of them said they would go with her and Lucy was quite relieved as she didn't relish the idea of walking in on her own._

_Of course there were limits as to what they could order without ID and Lucy hadn't acquired a taste for alcohol yet. So she settled for a coke and started to chat to the girls she was with. In the bar, they met up with the school friends of one of the girls so the group was now quite large. Some of Anna's friends were male, but everyone seemed really nice. Lucy felt a little shy but she tried to join in with the discussions which ranged from who had the best dorm, to what subjects they were taking and who had left their girl/boyfriend at home. _

_Lucy got on well in particular with one of Anna's friends, Robin. He was an attractive guy, quite muscular, which he explained to Lucy went down very well with his sort of guy. She tried not to look too surprised as he bent to whisper in her ear that he had 'come out' to his parents just before he left for college, and was still reeling on the news of their acceptance._

"_So we're both single." He said, putting a brotherly arm around her. Lucy grinned and feeling suddenly confident in herself, put an arm around Robin._

"_Let's be single together!" she announced. _

"_Go Girl!" Robin laughed and pecked her on the cheek. _

_Which was exactly when Stig spotted Lucy in Robin's arms._

_000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_

_It had taken Stig a long time to admit how he felt about Lucy. It was when he had seen her at the Prom that he realised it was more than just friendship. Because as they danced on the roof, he had begun to wish he had taken her instead of Jessica._

_He could have kissed her there and then, but Derek had instilled certain values in his son when it came to women. One of those was you don't ditch your date at Prom, no matter how irritating she is being or how beautiful the replacement is.._

_He could have said something over the next few months too, but instead he realised that he wanted to prove something to Lucy. He wanted her to realise that college Stig was different to school Stig. So he resolved to wait until college before he made his feelings clear._

_And that first night, it wasn't even that he had been planning to confess there and then. He had wanted things to develop slowly._

_The trouble was when he walked into the bar and saw Lucy in someone else's arms, he realised there were other forces at work, and maybe he had left everything too late._

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Stig had left the bar straight away without stopping. Which the audience knows was silly. But he wasn't thinking straight.

He went back to his dorm room, shouted at his dorm mate, cranked up his music and tried not to think. Stig was new to this getting rejected lark. He didn't do it very well.

He did the following day badly too, when he spotted Lucy in the quad, again with Robin. So he avoided her and her emails. The following week when their lectures were due to start, he had been on his way to the journalism lecture they shared when he saw Lucy with Robin again.

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So now Lucy, who was finding college great, her lectures really interesting, and was relieved to have made some really good friends was now crying in her room, because "stupid Stig" wouldn't reply to her emails.

There was a knock at her door, and she opened it to find Robin.


	22. Chapter 22

"Hey! What's with the tears?" Robin asked and all attempts to hold the tears at bay broke down.

"Nothing." Lucy sobbed.

"Yeah right!" he said and pulled her into his arms. "What's his name?"

"Sorry?" Lucy looked up in surprise.

"Only men cause tears like that." Robin said, knowingly. "I sobbed for a week after my first boyfriend dumped me."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Then what is he?"

She sighed. "I thought he was my friend, but now it appears I was one big joke."

Robin led her over to the bed and sat them both down.

"Tell me."

So Lucy did. She even showed Robin Stig's emails and phone messages.

And at the end Robin smiled.

"I know exactly what you should do." He announced.

"Oh?" Lucy brightened.

"You should go over to his dorm and have it out with him."

"Robin, I can't do that."

"Why not?"  
"Because he'll laugh at me and then I'll cry."

"You're crying now, what's the difference and at least you'll have got it off your chest."

"I don't want all his dorm mates to see me."

"Yes you do. You never know when one of them might offer you a shoulder to cry on and an opportunity to forget Stig for a while." He waggled his eyebrows as he said it.

"Rob-in!" Lucy said in despair. "I can't do that. That is so not me."

Robin squeezed her to him. "I know hun. It's one of the reasons why I love you so much. But seriously. You need to go and see him."

"I'll go tomorrow."

"No. You'll go now. Or rather in a minute when we've done something about your face. Hmmm….I feel a make-over coming on. What have you got in your wardrobe?"

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Robin was what used to be called 'a tonic'. He picked Lucy up, shook her, made her over and then pushed her out of the door with a determined shove.

"Go give him an earful." He said. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I'll settle for find out what this was all about without crying."

"Call me when you're done. Okay?"

"Yeah. Robin…thanks."

"Just remember, I might need the same favour one of these days."

"You got it." She said and made her way to the stairs.

The journey to Stig's dorm passed quickly and she was determined, right up until the moment she was at the main door. Then the nerves really set in.

A friendly looking guy coming out of the building stopped.

"You look lost."

"I'm looking for Steven Venturi."

"Stig? He's at hockey practice. You can wait upstairs in the common room if you like, he probably only be about twenty minutes or so."

Lucy wasn't sure what to do, but the friendly guy held open the door and led the way before she could say no.

The guy's dorm wasn't as nice as Lucy's and her guide told her that he had seen Stig's roommate in the common room, so if she was lucky she might be able to wait in his room. As they were climbing the stairs a guy came barrelling down them two at a time and then braked abruptly when he saw Lucy.

"Lucy?" he asked, surprised. Lucy had never seen him before in her life.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, unnerved. He laughed.

"I recognised you from your picture in Stig's room."

Lucy's companion nodded. "This is Stig's room mate, Simon."

"Oh." She said. Then she realised what he had said. "Wait! He has a _picture_ of me in his room?"

Simon grinned. "Yeah. You looking for him?"

"Yes."

"He didn't say you were coming." Simon was fairly sure he would have heard about it…for days.

"He doesn't know." She hardened her stance. "He's got some explaining to do."

Simon and the other guy laughed. Then Simon turned. "We'd best get you into his room to wait then, hadn't we? I'll take it from here, Ben."

Lucy said thanks to Ben and followed Simon up the stairs.

"Did Ben say that Stig was at hockey practice?"

She nodded.

"He should be back soon though, so you might as well wait. I'd stay and keep you company but I'm late for soccer practice."

They reached a door with Steven Venturi and Simon Matthews on it. The Steven had been crossed out and '_STIG'_ written over it. Simon unlocked the door and pushed it open, flicking on the light.

"I might see you later."

"Thanks." And then Simon was gone.

There were two beds in the room, two desks and two wardrobes. One of the beds had a SJST hockey jersey pinned to the wall above it, so Lucy guessed it was Stig's.

On the far wall was a pinboard which he was evidently filling with postcards and pictures from his friends. She saw several guys from her year group and several postcards – three of which were from Lucy. She pulled one from the board and read it. It was simple, an explanation of where she was, what she was doing and something that Stig would find funny. It reminded her of a time when she thought they were friends and the tears started to well as she pinned the card back in place. She moved back to the bed and sat down again, a tear on each cheek.

Then she spotted the photo beside his bed. The photo was of her.

It was the photo he had never meant her to see, the one of her asleep in their hotel room. Lucy was stunned. She picked the picture up and deep in thought, sat on his bed.

She was even more confused than ever and she couldn't stop the tears.


	23. Chapter 23

When the hand touched her shoulder she jumped. Then he was kneeling in front of her, his thumbs brushing the tears away from her cheeks.

"Just what I need. A drippy female." When she didn't smile, he tried again. "Give me the bastard's name and I'll kick his butt, Loopy."

She sniffed. "That would be hard, jerk. Unless you mastered the art of contortionism while I wasn't looking."

He sat back on the bed beside her.

"You want to kick my butt?" He sounded surprised. "Why?"

She stared at him incredulously.

"'Let's go for coffee at this great little café I found as soon as you get here' or 'I'll see you in the bar at 7pm sharp' or how about the fact that you are ignoring all my calls, emails etc." He looked away uncomfortably.

"Look. I didn't want to be the 'dippy female'."

"I called you a 'drippy female' not a 'dippy female'."

"Same difference."

"No actually, there isn't. You're far too intelligent to be dippy."

She sighed. "What did I do, Stig? Or was this all some elaborate prank. I thought we were friends."

"We are friends."

"Friends don't ignore each other's emails."

"Friends don't hook up with random guys when they are supposed to be meeting someone else."

"What?!" Lucy looked at him in horror. "What random guy?" She put her hand up to his forehead. "Are you running a temperature?"

"Lucy, I came to meet you in the bar and when I got there you were in some guy's arms, kissing him." His tone was accusatory.

Lucy stared at him, wondering what the hell he was on about. There had been guys with them that evening but the only person she had got anywhere near kissing had been Robin who didn't count because he was…

Lucy started to laugh. It started very small and got bigger and bigger and bigger, till she thought she might pee herself she was laughing so hard. She picked up Stig's pillow and whacked him with it.

"You stupid bloody moron! That was Robin!" She continued to hit him.

"Robin." Thwack!

"Yes." Thwack!

This time, Stig caught the pillow. "Will you quit hitting me and tell me why you have gone from gushing like a fountain to peeing your pants and hitting me?"

"Steven Venturi, where were you when they were handing out common sense?"

"There's no need to be like that."

"And there is no need to be freaking jealous of someone who is my best girl friend."

"Lucy. I studied Biology at school. That was not a girl."

"Maybe not anatomically, but believe me the only fluid I'm going to be swapping with Robin is nail varnish."

Enlightenment dawned on Stig's face. "He's gay?" Lucy nodded. Stig flopped back on to his bed. "Oh Fuck!" he said putting an arm over his eyes.

Lucy, still laughing, leaned over him, making him jump as he lifted his arm to look at her.

"You should have asked me, Steven."

He looked up at her, shifting the pillow so that it was back under his head.

"Yeah. I guess I should." He put a hand up to the side of her face. "I don't think straight when you're around sometimes. You drive me crazy."

She chuckled. "I noticed. I mean, what sort of guy keeps a photo of his arch-enemy beside his bed?" she looked across at her photo, his hand still cupping her face.

"Do you know when I took that?" he asked.

"The hotel. Why?"

"Because I was trying to get you back for the whole Facebook thing. But when I went to publish the picture online, I realised I couldn't. It was too…personal."

"So you thought you'd frame it and keep it beside your bed instead." She said laughing.

"You were never supposed to know about that." He grinned.

"But I do. What else do I need to know?"

"This isn't a prank." He tried.

"What is this?" Lucy asked quietly.

"I don't know. But if this is all we ever are to each other, it's still better than any other relationship I've ever had."

"Including Jessica?" she asked, smirking.

"Especially Jessica." He confirmed.

"You owe me a very large hot chocolate with all the trimmings, Stig." Lucy said close to his ear.

"Deal. Tomorrow…our first date." And when she tried to pull back to look at him, he caught her head in his hand and her mouth with his.

There was something more grown up about this kissing than either of them had experienced before. It took a lot of will power to pull away moments later when lack of air started to be an issue.

Lucy sat up. "What time's Simon back?"

"Too bloody soon." Stig said, sitting up beside her.

"You and I alone together is dangerous, Stig."

"Tell me about it."

"Public places only for a while, I think."

He chuckled. "Yeah."

Lucy smiled. "Seriously, what time is he back?"

"We've got another forty five minutes, but, I'll walk you home in half an hour. Okay?"

"Fine by me." She said and reclaimed his lips.

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As promised, half an hour later, they pulled reluctantly apart, straightened their dishevelled clothes which frankly it was a miracle they were still wearing, and left Stig's room.

"Is this what you meant by dancing with the devil?" he asked, taking her hand.

"No. That was the stunt on the roof."

"I guess I need to apologise to Robin."

"God no! You'll never hear the last of it." Lucy swore and looked at her watch.

"I was supposed to phone him and tell him how I kicked your butt.

"What will you tell him?" Stig said, stealing a kiss as they walked.

"I'll blame the ol' Venturi charm." She said grinning at him.

"Three generations can't be wrong." He said. "My dad is going to kill me."

"Oh?"

"I promised I would look after you at university. I don't think dating you was exactly what he had in mind."

She chuckled. "I guess this will be more evidence for Teddy and Lilly."

"You know about that?"

"My sister has no secrets from me – however much she thinks she has. Did you know by the way that Teddy finally pulled his finger out and kissed her. They've been ridiculously soppy for the past four weeks."

Stig laughed. "Well I hope he isn't expecting to get paid for his research into that dinner party. It got him a girlfriend – that's payment enough."

"We never did find out what that was all about did we?"

"No."

"Do you care?"

"No not really. How about you?"

"Nah. I think it's nice that my boyfriend's parents and mine get on."

Stig stopped outside her dorm and pulled her into his arms. "I guess your boyfriend ought to go home right now."

Lucy raised her face for his kiss. "You do realise I don't share a room, don't you?" she said, nervously.

He smiled also nervously. "That's worth knowing…for future reference."

They gazed at each other. "I should go. I have a best girl friend to call."

"Give him my love."

Lucy laughed.

Stig bent and kissed her. "I'll come get you for breakfast in the morning."

"If you don't I'll beat your door down."

"Oh I'll be there." He let go of her, reluctantly. "Keep your phone on tonight. I'll probably wake you." He warned.

"You seriously think I'm going to sleep tonight?"

"No. Me either. So if we're both going to be awake it would be nice to talk to someone."

"Now who's doing soppy?"

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"What time d'ya call this?" Robin said when Lucy finally got round to calling him.

"Sorry. I was busy."

"Really?" said Robin and Lucy could see the arched eyebrow down the phone. "Tell all."

"Well I think I let you down."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm not single anymore."

Robin squealed. "I want to know EVERYTHING!" he said, and Lucy reflected that Robin was even more of a best girl friend than some of the girls she had gone to school with.


	24. Chapter 24

"I've discovered something else I like about having a boyfriend." Lucy stated as she opened the door to her room.

"Really. Share." Stig said, following her in loaded up with bags.

"I like that when you go Christmas shopping with them they are contractually obliged to carry the bags."

"Thanks." He said wryly. Lucy grinned.

"How about I make it up to you with a takeaway pizza?"

"Cheater. Someone told you that the way to a Venturi's heart was through his stomach, didn't they?"

"Come on. Let's go get the pizza. I've got a film we can watch tonight as well."

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They had been dating for most of the semester, and on a timeline of relationships it still felt like they had barely breached the first minute. Lucy was the complete antithesis of the girls Stig had dated in school, and now he was kicking himself for the wasted years. Now he realised why his dad looked at his mom the way he did, why it was so hard for them to be apart.

And yeah. He sort of understood the sex part too.

Although _that_ part of Stig and Lucy's relationship had yet to be explored.

They ate the pizza and chips on her bed in the dorm, watching the film. When the food was gone and the cartons discarded, he slipped his arms around her and they moved together.

"This film is crap." Lucy said after another ten minutes.

"Don't watch it then." Stig said against her neck.

"Are you trying to distract me?"  
"Is it working?"  
"Yes." She murmured against his lips. They started to kiss and Lucy turned her body towards his and joined in with enthusiasm.

They had a very physical relationship, but it hadn't gone the distance. They had talked briefly about it, and decided to just let nature take its course.

Tonight as they kissed, however, and aware as she was of the approaching Christmas break when they would not be able to see each other quite as much, Lucy wasn't sure she wanted to wait any longer. Her hands started to explore. Stig caught her pace and soon they were shedding clothes and slipping beneath the covers, the film long since switched off.

But this was still nothing new.

"This is going to be difficult in London." Stig said as he kissed his way down her body.

"Hmm." Lucy said distractedly, as he reached her thighs. She lost herself for a while as his kisses became intimate and then before he could go too far, she pulled him back up to her, shaking her head. He frowned and she reached into the drawer next to her bed.

His eyes widened. "Now?" he asked.

"Yes." She said and then there was no time for talking.

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"I suppose it was obvious." Stig said, combing her damp hair with his fingers.

"What was?" she raised her head from his chest.

"That the one person who knew I was a virgin would be the person I lost my virginity to."

Lucy grinned. "You couldn't tell. Speaking as someone with no experience at all." She kissed him. "Steven. Stay tonight."

"Do I look like I'm going anywhere?"

"If you keep touching me there I'm going to padlock my door so you never escape." She said giggling and turned towards him again.

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"I need to go home and have a shower and change."

"You need to start leaving some things here." Lucy said.

"I think your dorm mates might have a problem with me using their showers."

"I bumped into Anna's boyfriend coming out of the shower the other day. They'll get over it."

"Next year, one of us needs to get an apartment. Or both of us, together. That would save a lot of time and effort."  
"Would this be something else that you are planning to palm off to your dad as 'looking after Lucy'."

"Hmmm. Do you think our parents will guess that we're sleeping together?"

"Parents have a sixth sense for that sort of thing."

"Do you think they will say anything?"

"Nah. Just like we don't like to think of our parents having sex, I guess they don't want to know about us doing it."

"Lucy?"  
"Hmm?"

"I love you. And I don't just mean because of what happened last night. I should have said it to you a long time ago."

"I love you too. And you are forgiven. Or at least you will be, if you stop talking about getting out of bed, and start thinking about distracting me again."  
"Jeez woman. Is there no satisfying you?" he grinned and pressed his mouth against hers.


	25. Chapter 25

Teddy looked intently at Lilly across the table of their booth.

"So. You know the routine."

"Inside and out. I'll monitor constantly, record when I can and call you if I get any significant hints."

"Yeah. If something has been going on while they've been away, we are going to get to the bottom of it."

"Do you think something has been going on?" Lilly asked. Teddy shrugged.

"You say Lucy has been a bit weird on the phone."  
"Not weird, just…I'm convinced there is always someone there in the background, but she doesn't room with anyone. It doesn't follow that it is Stig."

"Hmm. Except I overheard my aunt tell my mom that Stig seems to have developed 'responsibility' while he's been away. She can't get over the fact he actually phones home. Aunt Casey thinks he is being nagged into it by a girl."

"I guess they could have met other people while they were away."  
"Lilly. Do I have to remind you of the weight of evidence against that theory?" Her boyfriend said, pulling up an over stuffed lever arch file.

Lilly shook her head. "No I get what you are saying. So Observe and Record, then?"

"Observe and Record." He said, taking her hand and kissing it.

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"Looking forward to the kids coming home?" Cathy asked Casey as they had coffee in the local mall.

"I can't wait. The house has been too quiet without Stig. You must be missing Lucy."

"Yes. It will be nice to have her home. We are quite close. I'm glad you've been around or I would have missed having a confidante." She paused. "It's nice of Stig to bring Lucy home. James wasn't looking forward to the trip."

"Interesting isn't it?" Casey said, pointedly. Cathy looked up and grinned at her.

"Do you think they have some news for us?"  
Casey chuckled. "I doubt they'll be in a hurry to share."

"I might find it all a bit of a shock if you hadn't warned me that you suspected something when they went off to college."

"Have you had any confirmation?"

"Not exactly, but she's keeping something from me."

"I worried for a long time that he would treat her like some of the girls he dated in school, but I don't think that will be the case. There's just something about the way he looks at her."

"Like Derek, you mean?" Cathy smiled.

A week after Stig and Lucy had gone to college, Casey and Cathy had been having their normal weekly catch up and Casey had looked more thoughtful than normal. Cathy was concerned and asked her friend what was wrong.

"_How would you feel about your daughter dating my son?" Casey had asked suddenly. Cathy's eyes had widened._

"_Why is something going on?"_

"_I don't know. It's just…promise you won't laugh at me?"_

_Cathy looked eager. "I promise."_

"_It's just a couple of times I've caught him looking at Lucy the way that Derek used to look at me in the weeks leading up to us…'resolving our difficulties'." She sighed. "To be honest, I've thought since the day that I met you that there was a subtext to their relationship. It just reminded me so much of my early relationship with Derek. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry you."_

"_Why would it worry me?"_

"_Stig is hardly good son-in-law material."_

_Cathy laughed. "A bit premature?"_

"_Can I show you something?" Casey asked. She led the way into the living room and hooked up the old DVD player._

"_I really must get these converted to a newer format. They get so scratched." She slid in a DVD and switched on the TV and pressed play._

"_What are we watching?"_

"_Marti's eighth birthday party."_

_Three more DVDs later, and Cathy smiled at Casey, who raised an eyebrow._

"_Well," Cathy said. "At least the in-laws get on." They both laughed._

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At first the journey had been fun. The thought of five hours together in the car, on the way home for the Christmas Break and the memory of the previous night when, yet again, Stig had stayed over at Lucy's. This time the excuse was the early start.

Of course, it hadn't been that much of an early start at all because in the past week, getting out of Lucy's bed in the morning had become incredibly difficult for both of them since their relationship had reached its new exciting level. Stig had only been back to his own dorm room to change clothes and pack. He glanced at his girlfriend remembering the feel of her bare skin on his when he woke.

"This vacation is going to be hard." He said as they grew closer to London. Lucy sighed. "Tell me about it."

"Being alone together is going to be impossible."

"I know. Being together at all is going to be impossible."

"I want to spend all my time with you and I can't."

"Maybe we need the space. Things are fairly intense at the moment."

"You mean the fact that I can't stop touching you?" he asked. Lucy smiled.

"Or me, you."

"Do we tell them?"

"If we don't they will work it out soon enough."

"I guess we'll just have to make the best of it. Afterall, we'll be going back to Queens in three weeks."

She grinned. "I can't wait!"

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"Do you think this will win us the Husband and Father of the year awards? Jointly?" James asked.

"If it doesn't there's no justice in the world." Derek replied. "Are you sure Cathy is supposed to be at our house?"

"Oh yeah. It's a weekly date."

"Cool. I can't wait to see the look on Casey's face."

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"You did WHAT?!" Casey screamed at her husband. "Are you INSANE?"

Cathy meanwhile was smacking her husband on the arm. "After everything I told you...and you still went ahead and did it."

Derek sighed. He was slightly more robust than James when it came to being beaten up by his spouse.

"Casey. Back off, okay. I know you think we should be banning them from even glancing at each other, but…"

"I never said that. I don't have a problem with them dating."

"But, _if_ they are dating the chances are they are going to have sex whether they are living under the same roof or not. Our staying in the same ski lodge is not going to make any difference. They'll just wait until they get back to Queens." He looked at her pointedly. "That's what we did."

James took his cue from Derek. "Exactly Cathy. They are adults. If there is something going on between them the chances are it is already sexual, and we can't stop them. Your mom tried and look where it got _us_."

"But going on holiday together, staying in the same lodge…" Casey objected.

"With the rest of their families." Derek said calmly. "Come on, you've been wanting a skiing holiday for ages. And it was too good an opportunity to miss. There are only a handful of those big lodges available, and they had a cancellation."

"So how did you see this working?" Cathy asked.

"We thought Lilly could share with Lucy, Stig could share with Teddy (don't start Casey – It doesn't freak Ed and Liz out so it shouldn't freak you out.) and Bethany could have a room to herself because the youngest two will share."

"Sounds okay to me, Casey." Cathy said.

"A skiing holiday would be nice."

"A skiing holiday would be awesome Casey! Come on!" Derek said, catching his wife's waist. "And the kids will love it."

"If we're grandparents in nine months time, it's not my fault." She said. Derek laughed.

"Maybe they are just friends."

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"Don't get too comfortable." Derek said to Stig after the welcome home party had dissolved to its various holes. "You've just got time to shower and pack a bag."

Stig looked up, concerned.

"Why?"

"We are going on a vacation!" Derek announced, thinking to himself that he really sounded like George.

"You might be Dad, but I'm not."

"Oh yes you are…skiing."

Stig shook his head. "Sorry. I'm staying here."

Casey passed on the landing. "Come on Stig. I promise this will be the last guilt trip we take you on, and it's only for a week."

"Oh I doubt that. I wanted to see my friends."

"And you can do. Just not this week. And most of them are going away anyway. Even the Morgans aren't going to be here."  
"What do you mean?" Stig said, sitting up.

And Derek knew then.

"Cathy told me James surprised them all with a last minute cancellation."

Stig sighed. Whilst he knew he could resist being made to go with his family, he knew Lucy couldn't.

"Fine. Okay I'll go." He said.

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The journey wasn't too bad. He had plugged in his ipod, turned up the volume and sulked like a teenager again – while he was awake. Since he had driven for five hours himself that morning, he was very tried.

Fortunately, the journey to the ski lodge only took three hours, and although it was dark it wasn't late when they pulled into the little complex and parked up outside their lodge.

"It's a bit big, isn't it Dad?" asked Bethany. Derek chuckled.

"It has to be for there to be room for all the stuff you've brought. Stig. Help your mom unload the shopping into the kitchen, please."

Stig thought about behaving like a teenager again and then realised he didn't want to.

"Sure, Dad." He said, picking up a box of groceries and carrying them into the lodge. He walked up the stairs and into the large kitchen area, deposited the box on the work surface. Then he turned around and made his way back passed the living room to go down stairs.

"Hi." A voice said from the living room doorway.

Stig turned in surprise. Lucy grinned.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"What the hell kind of greeting is that?" she retorted. He rectified the situation, crossing the distance between them in an instant.

As his hands found their familiar place on her waist, she giggled against his neck.

"This is our parents' idea of a 'prank'." She said. "Our families are sharing this joint for Christmas."

"No Way!"

She nodded.

"Wow! What a Christmas present!" he said.

"Don't get too excited. I'm sharing with Lilly and you're sharing with Teddy."

"I'm sure a financial arrangement can be worked out to sort that one out."

She shook her head. "I can't do _that_ under the same roof as our parents. Besides, they already thought of that. The rooms are at opposite ends of the house, we'd have to walk passed both parents bedrooms and more importantly, Bethany's room."

"Ah. That is a problem." He kissed her.

"Spending Christmas together is good, though." He said.

She pulled his head to hers. "Spending Christmas together is perfect." She whispered, kissing him back.

"STEVEN! Put her down and come give your mom a hand!" Derek's voice called up the stairs.

"That guy has eyes in the back of his head." Stig muttered as he pulled away.

"At least they know. No sneaking around."

"Hmm. Stolen kisses might have been fun."

Lucy laughed and followed him down to help unload.

"It still can be." She said suggestively.

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**Author's Note:**

**A little bit more to go on this, I think.**


	26. Epilogue

Casey was bouncing a baby on her knee. Mikey Venturi was just one and this was his second Venturi Christmas. At his first he had been barely three months old. She was looking forward to him reacting to the coloured lights and baubles.

For the third year in a row, they had returned to the massive skiing lodge. It was a regular booking now, and the Morgans were always in tow. Somehow, Casey thought happily, looking across at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, they always would be. Lucy caught Casey's eye and smiled.

"Can I have him for a while?" she asked Casey who nodded, and passed the little boy to Lucy, the fire light catching the new engagement ring as Lucy moved her hand. Derek chuckled. "I'd watch out if I were you Stig. When they start showing an interest in babies, it's a slippery slope." James grinned and nodded his agreement.

Stig laughed. "I've seen the life plan, dad. I have another two years of peace yet."

"She has a life plan. God Case! It's you all over again."

"Der-ek."

Casey rolled her eyes at her husband and turned to Cathy. "I'm pleased Lilly and Teddy managed to patch things up before the trip to Florida."

"Those two are off and on so frequently these days it's like watching a set of fairy lights." Cathy said. "They used to be so normal. I guess that's teenagers for you."

Stig snorted. "Teddy's never been normal."

"Be nice." Lucy said, her little charge falling asleep on her shoulder. "They'll sort themselves out. They're perfect for each other, it's just we Morgan-Venturis never do things the easy way." Stig brushed his thumb against her shoulder and pressed a kiss against her mouth, being careful not to wake the baby.

"You're good at that." Casey said to Lucy pointing to the baby. Lucy blushed.

Derek chuckled. "I still find it intensely amusing that we all worried about you two bed hopping the first time we came here. I seem to remember a certain mother saying, 'I quote 'if we're grandparents in nine months, it won't be my fault'."

"Shut up Derek."

"Just exactly when was _our_ fifth child born again?" He smirked at her. "Approximately, nine months after Christmas I believe."

"Derek. That was your fault."

"It's always my fault Casey. It's been my fault since we were fifteen."

He pulled his wife closer. "I wouldn't change it for the world."

The little group grinned and raised a toast to their ever-changing family.

Stig looked at his youngest brother sleeping in his fiancée's arms and smiled too. Later, when they were lying in their room he would tell her that he didn't want to wait the year they had planned before they got married. If this was married life, he was ready to start. Lucy would nod and they would set a date for as soon as possible.

Cathy snuggled up to James that night. "Do you ever wish we'd had another baby?" she said.

"Still could." He said, sleepily. She sat up.

"What?"

"We still could." He said, smiling to himself.

"But I'm…"

"…more than young enough to try."

"Do you mean that?" she asked. The question suddenly important.

He opened his eyes properly. "If you want another baby all you have to do is ask. Can't guarantee we'll be successful but…" he broke off as she kissed him soundly. Neither of them was aware of anything else for the rest of the night.

"So. I hope you learnt your lesson Casey Venturi." Derek said after he had settled Mikey in his cot in the next room. "If you leave well alone, everything works out."

"I didn't leave everything alone, Derek. I made friends with Cathy remember?"

He lay on his back, playing with her hair. "Hmmm, okay I'll let you off. That at least was a good decision. It's a good job we get on with them, seeing as they are going to be around for the rest of our lives."

Casey looked at him. "Do you ever regret it?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Regret what?"

"Choosing to date me rather than going into your career a free agent, free to enjoy all the groupies and hangers on."

"Where's the challenge in that?" he said simply.

They were quiet for a minute.

"I love you, Casey. I've always loved you, even before I knew what that emotion was. Sure I could have the easy life, but I'd rather have the interesting one. I could have the easy girls, but I'd rather have the woman who knows when I'm ill before I do, understands why I'm upset without me saying a word, and _knows_ how to make things right again." He saw her eyes filling with tears and smirked.

"The woman who cries like a freaking fountain." He said pulling her tightly to him.

"Sorry." she sobbed. "You don't do sappy very often, but when you do, you're an expert." She grinned. "I love you too, jerk. However much I shout at you, threaten you, hit you…" her voice trailed off.

"We're perfect for each other, aren't we?" she said finally.

He cupped a hand to the side of her face. "I think so."

She leant forward and let him kiss her deeply.

"Casey." He said breaking off for air. "How do you feel about six children?"

What with one baby or three, next year they would need a bigger lodge.

**The End.**


End file.
